The BJP on Tuesday won the by-poll to Lakhimpur Lok Sabha and Baithalangso Assembly seats in Assam defeating Congress, its nearest rival.
Party candidate Pradan Barua won the Lakhaimpur LS seat by a margin of 1,90,219 votes defeating his nearest rival Congress’s Hema Prasanga Pegu by a convincing 1,90,219 votes, the returning officer said.
BJP retained the seat, which was earlier held by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal who quit it to contest the Majuli assembly seat in April this year and take on the reins of the state.
Mansing Rongpi won the Baithalangso Assembly seat. While he retained the seat, BJP won the seat as the contestant had resigned from Congress to join it in July which necessitated the by—poll this year.
Rongpi defeated his nearest Congress rival Ruponsing Ronghang by 16,600 votes. Rongpi garnered 72,160 votes, while Ronghang polled 55,560 votes, said the returning officer.
Meanwhile, Mr Sonowal termed the BJP’s win as the “mandate” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to demonetise the Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes.
“BJP’s victory in by-polls is a clear indication that people are fully supporting the decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. It is people’s mandate for the Prime Minister’s decision of demonetisation,” he told reporters here.
The Chief Minister said people responded overwhelmingly in support of Modi’s call for eradicating black money and a clear indication that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and Assam were performing well.
The BJP has won the recently held by-polls in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency and Baithalangshu Assembly seat.
Sonowal met the Prime Minister and appealed him to ensure monitoring of construction of fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border through Army for speedy completion.
The Chief Minister also discussed with the Prime Minister a spectrum of issues ranging from demonetisation to law and order situation in Assam. He apprised Mr Modi of different steps the State government has taken with the help of the Reserve Bank of India to facilitate smooth flow of new currency notes in every nook and corner of the state in the wake of demonetisation of high currency notes. - PTI
