SP wins Kashi graduates’ seat, too

A reflection of anger among youths over joblessness: Analyst

VARANASI: Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Ashutosh Sinha won the Varanasi division graduates’ seat, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee Kedarnath Singh by a margin of 3,850 votes.

On Friday, SP candidate Lal Bihari Yadav had won the Varanasi teachers’ seat. Polling took place on December 1.

In the election for the graduates’ seat, Sinha polled 26,535 votes and Kedarnath Singh, who had won the seat in the previous election, got 22,685 votes. The result came after 22 rounds of counting. There were 22 candidates in the fray.

Assistant returning officer Navneet Singh Chahal gave the victory certificate to Ashutosh Sinha. Chahal confirmed it, saying that the certificate was given to the candidate who won the election.

Prof Kaushal Kishore Mishra, dean, faculty of social science, at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), said, “This is not the defeat of the BJP. Anti-incumbency against the candidate is the main reason. The second reason is the low turnout of voters due to the global pandemic Covid-19.”

Kashi-based BJP state unit spokesperson Ashok Pandey said, “We have done well all over the state in the elections for the members of the graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies. But it is a fact that we have lost the Varanasi division graduates’ seat. We will introspect to find the reason and take measures to do away with them.”

Varanasi-based Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Manoj Yadav Golu said, “The victory of our party candidates Lal Bihari Yadav and Ashutosh Sinha has proved that the educated youths are angry with the BJPled government at the Centre and state’s policies led to a rise in unemployment. The voters have given a message that the Samajwadi Party is the best option.”

On Friday, Lal Bihari Yadav won the Varanasi division teachers’ constituency seat. Yadav polled 7,766 votes and his nearest rival Dr Pramod Kumar Mishra of the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh (Om Prakash Sharma group) got 6,830 votes.

Twelve candidates tried their luck for the teachers’ constituency here.

It is a fact that we have lost the Varanasi division graduates’ seat. We will introspect to find the reason and take measures to do away with them ASHOK PANDEY ,