Cong wins 3 Assembly bypolls in Uttarakhand

In the first good news for the party since its humiliating Lok Sabha poll defeat, the Congress won all three Assembly seats in Uttarakhand. Chief minister Harish Rawat retained Dharchula, while it wrested Doiwala and Someshwar from the BJP.

Buoyed by these results, the Congress said this showed the Narendra Modi “myth” of “achche din” was getting “exposed” within 60 days of the NDA victory. AICC spokesman P. C. Chacko said it was significant as the party had snatched two seats from the BJP, and its CM won by a margin of over 20,000 votes.

The first after a humiliating defeat in Lok Sabha elections last summer, the Congress on Friday bounced back by grabbing all the three assembly seats in the bypolls in Uttrakhand. Chief minister Harish Rawat retained the Dharchula seat and the party wrested Doiwala and Someshwar seats from BJP.

Buoyed by the results, the Congress said it showed the Narendra Modi “myth” of “acche din” was getting “exposed” within sixty days of NDA coming to power at the Centre.

AICC spokesperson P. C. Chacko told reporters that the verdict was also significant in view of the fact that the party has been able to snatch two seats from BJP besides ensuring a good win for the chief minister by a margin of over 20,000 votes.

While Mr Chacko thanked the people of the state for reposing faith in Congress, Mr Rawat in Dehradun described the victory as the people’s “blessing” to the party.

The bypolls outcome deals a blow to BJP in the state reducing the number of its MLAs in the state assembly from 30 to 28.

Besides the big victory for Mr Rawat, Congress’s Hira Singh Bisht won from Doiwala by over 6000 votes whereas Congress’ Rekha Arya won Someshwar ( reserved) seat by over 9000 votes, state CEO Radha Raturi announced.

Doiwala and Someshwar seats fell vacant after their sitting MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha.