It's 3-2 for Cong as BJP gets jolt in Delhi, Rajasthan

Zeenews Bureau New Delhi, Dec 08:

The Congress stormed back to power in Mizoram and took Rajasthan, while scoring a hat-trick in Delhi. The BJP retained power in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgrah. The BJP, which tried to capitalise on the terror card especially after the November 26 Mumbai attacks, suffered a shock in Rajasthan when Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje failed to deliver the state for the party. Rajasthan In Rajasthan, the Congress rushed to victory, gaining power after a gap of five years. The party has won 96 seats while BJP got 78 in the 200-member Assembly. Others, including the BSP and Independents, won 26 seats. Incumbent CM Vasundhra Raje accepted defeat at a press conference. “I am going to hand over my resignation to the Governor so that the process of Government change may begin.” She thanked her supporters and the media. AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot, who spearheaded the party's campaign in the state, won his Sardarpura constituency while Raje emerged victorious in her Jhalrapatan seat. Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Sumitra Singh has lost to the Congress candidate in Mandawa constituency. Delhi Performing a record hat-trick, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit steered her party to victory securing 42 of the 69 seats that were up for grab in the 70-member Assembly. With this, the Congress has secured simple majority in the national capital. The BJP was way behind with 23 seats, while others got just 4 seats. The opposition BJP conceded defeat and said that the electorate had given a "clear vote in favour of the Congress". "It is a clear victory for the Congress in Delhi," Arun Jaitley, BJP general secretary, who is in-charge of party affairs in the capital, told reporters. BJP’s CM candidate called the Congress victory ‘shocking’. Sheila Dikshit won from her New Delhi constituency, while Malhotra too claimed victory in Greater Kailash with a margin of 11,218 votes. The ruling party won Uttam Nagar, Adarsh Nagar, Model Town, Chattarpur, Jungpura, Dwarka, Kondli, Deoli, Seemapuri, Kalkaji, Gandhi Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Mangolpuri, Malviya Nagar, Wazirpur and Lakshmi Nagar. The BJP victory came in Shalimar Bagh, Bijwasan, Palam, Trilokpuri, Rohini, Rithala and Delhi Cantt. Among the notable winners for the Congress in Delhi are Assembly Speaker Chaudhury Prem Singh, A K Walia, Arvinder Singh Lovely and Mukesh Sharma. Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan also won the Krishna Nagar seat. Madhya Pradesh BJP appeared on its way to retaining power in Madhya Pradesh having won 142 seats while Congress has won 70 seats in the declared result for 228 seats. Others have won 16 seats. Factors like anti-incumbency, intra-party rivalry and challenge posed by former party leader Uma Bharti seemed to have had no impact on the ruling BJP, according to party leaders. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan won from his Budhni seat. Uma Bharti's Bharatiya Janshakti Party was trailing in all the 216 seats it contested, with the former CM losing the Tikamgarh seat, her home turf. Yadvendra Singh Bundela of the Congress trounced her with a margin of more than 3,000 votes. Chhattisgarh The ruling BJP defied anti-incumbency to retain power in Chhattisgarh. Needing 46 seats to secure a simple majority in the 90-memberState Assembly, BJP won 50 seats while the Congress has cornered 38. BSP won 2 seats. The BJP forged ahead in the race after being initially locked in a neck and neck race with the Congress. Mizoram In Mizoram, Chief Minister Zoramthanga conceded defeat at the hands of the opposition Congress and said he would tender his resignation to Governor Lt General Madan Mohan Lakhera later today. Following the defeat of his Mizo National Front (MNF), Zoramthanga, who has ruled the state for two consecutive terms, has sought an appointment with Lakhera. The Congress has already secured majority of 30 seats in the 40-member State Assembly. MNF won 3 seats while others had to contend with only 5 seats out of the 39 declared results. Three-time Chief Minister and state PCC chief Lal Thanhawla triumphed in both South Tuipui and Serchhip seats defeating his opponents J Lalchhuana and C Lalramzauva, both of the UDA, respectively. The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) suffered a jolt when two-time Chief Minister and party president Zoramthanga was humbled by Congress opponent T T Zothansanga, a first timer, in the prestigious Champhai North seat. Another major player in the polls, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) also suffered defeat with its deputy chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma losing to his Congress opponent and a first timer R L Pianmawia. Most of the states where the counting is being held are those where Congress and the BJP are major contenders for power and the outcome may help gauge the voter mood ahead of the general elections due early next year although issues involved would be different.


If the headlines are calling it a 3-2 victory for Congress, it can equally correctly be said to be a 293-275 victory for BJP, as BJP got the largest number of MLAs in this round of elections, with the rest of the parties getting 54 MLAs.