New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked people for reposing their faith in the BJP, as the party won by-elections in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, seen as a vote of approval for scrapping 500 and 1,000 rupee notes to combat corruption
In Madhya Pradesh, BJP retained both seats – the Nepanagar assembly seat and Shahdol Lok Sabha seat.d black money.
In Assam, a BJP-ruled state, too the BJP has won an assembly and a parliament seat by big margins. It has retained the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat vacated by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and has gained the Baithalangso assembly seat. The Congress candidate who had won in May had joined the BJP.
Arunachal Pradesh, Desingu Pul, the wife of former chief minister Kalikho Pul, who committed suicide in August, won the assembly seat Hayuliang as a BJP candidate. The BJP backs the state government after Chief Minister Pema Khandu broke away from the Congress.
Describing the Trinamool Congress’ landslide victory in the West Bengal by-polls as “people’s revolt” against demonetisation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday urged all political parties to start a wave of protests against the “financial emergency”.
“People have revolted. This is symbolic, It is a vote against demonetisation. In a democracy, people vent their anger through votes,” Banerjee told mediapersons. The Trinamool on Tuesday retained the Tamluk and Cooch Behar Lok Sabha and Monteshwar Assembly seats by huge margins. Banerjee said her party won so massively as “the people have voted for those working in the people’s interest. “This huge victory is the victory of common people. I congratulate them for the result,” Banerjee said at the NSCBI Airport on her way to Delhi. “I want people across all political parties to start a wave of protest against this financial emergency. Protest, protest, protest,” Banerjee said.
The Trinamool Congress supremo has also called on people from different socio-economic backgrounds to join hands on the issue. “We appeal to NGOs, charitable organisations, political parties, student groups, civil society representatives, those form the cultural world and others to join,” she said. Talking about the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, the Trinamool chief said the BJP will feel the pinch of the common man’s struggle in their vote bank. “The BJP will get a befitting reply in the upcoming polls, the party will not get a single vote,” she said.
Banerjee will lead a protest against the central government’s decision to demonetise high value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday. Banerjee has been at the forefront of the protests against demonetisation. Last week she called on President Pranab Mukherjee alongwith three other political parties seeking his intervention in the matter which has caused “tremendous hardship” to the people. She also addressed a meeting at Azadpur Mandi, the biggest vegetable and fruits wholesale hub in Delhi, jointly with Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, giving a 72-hour deadline to the Centre to rollback demonetisation.
On Saturday, Banerjee marched to the Reserve Bank of India office in the city, summoned its officials on the road and sought information on the currency situation in the state. She is also scheduled to address protest meetings in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab over the next few days. Trinamool has also announced a three-day protest programme in the state beginning Tuesday, when the party would take out a rally in the city. Rallies would be held at the district headquarters and every block of the state in the next two days.
Tripura’s ruling CPM has won both assembly seats for which by-elections were held, retaining one and wresting the other from the Congress, which fared very poorly in both.
Tamil Nadus ruling AIADMK on Tuesday won all the three assembly by-elections, with Chief Minister and party leader J. Jayalalithaa profusely thanking the voters. Polling was held in Thirupparankundram, Aravakkurichi and Thanjavur on Saturday. While there were other parties in the fray, the contest was mainly between the AIADMK and the DMK.
In Aravakkurichi, AIADMK’s V. Senthil Balaji defeated DMK’s K.C. Palanisamy while at Thirupparankundram AIADMK’s A.K. Bose defeated DMK’s P. Saravanan. In Thanjavur, the AIADMK’s M. Rengasamy worsted DMK’s Anjugam Bhoopathy. The Thirupparankundram by-election was necessitated by the death of the AIADMK legislator, Seenivel.
In a statement, Jayalalithaa said the election victory while she was in hospital gave her limitless happiness and enthusiasm. “With this it is proved again that people are on my side,” Jayalalithaa said. The 68-year-old AIADMK supremo was admitted to the Apollo Hospitals with fever and dehydration on September 22. Following the three victories, the AIADMK’s strength in the 234-member house goes up to 136 (including Speaker). The DMK has 89 members, the Congress eight and the Indian Union Muslim League one.
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy of the Congress has won the Nellithope Assembly seat. Mr Narayanasamy is a Lok Sabha lawmaker and needed to become a member of the state assembly within six months of being sworn in as Chief Minister in May.
