Assembly by-elections: 10-2 win to deter defections, boost opposition confidence
INDIA bloc's 10-2 victory against the ruling BJP and its allies in the assembly by-elections, with the 13th seat going to an independent in Bihar, was marked by the strategic gain to the opposition alliance from the defeat of several of its erstwhile MLAs who had defected and fought on the BJP ticket.
The by-election results declared on Saturday showed that the opposition parties had thwarted the BJP's hitherto successful strategy of weaning away opposition MLAs, making them resign from the assembly and helping them win bypolls on its 'lotus' symbol. The trend reversal could serve as a deterrent against defections, thus rendering the results more significant than the simplistic narrative of ruling parties in states mostly retaining the upper hand in bypolls. The outcome also means the opposition parties will go to the upcoming state elections with enhanced confidence.
Commenting on the Congress victories, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said, «These victories show that the people have now completely rejected the arrogance, misgovernance and negative politics of the BJP. This is also strong evidence of the falling political credibility of Modi and Shah.»
Of the two seats each the Congress has won in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, three seats were those where the party had suffered defection of sitting MLAs to the BJP. While the Congress avenged the defection by retaining the Badrinath seat in Uttarakhand, the party wrested Manglaur from the BSP. Not only did the BJP lose both seats in the party-ruled
