The BJP received a big jolt in Uttarakhand as it lost Badrinath and Manglaur assembly constituencies in the bypoll on Saturday.

The ruling party was defeated in Badrinath by more than 5000 votes and in Manglaur by a thin margin of 422 votes. The by elections were held on July 10.

Advertisement

The BJP candidate Rajendra Singh Bhandari lost Badrinath assembly segment in Chamoli district to Congress candidate Lakhpat Singh Butola by 5224 votes at the end of the 15 rounds of counting.

Congress candidate Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin won Manglaur assembly bypoll by a thin margin of 422 votes with 37.91 per cent vote share against 37.4 per cent votes of BJP’s Kartar Singh Bhadana.

Bhadana was able to reduce his trail margin sharply in the 8th and 9th round to 100 votes as Nizamuddin was leading by more than 7000 votes till seven rounds of counting.

The Congress candidate got 51.93 per cent votes while the BJP nominee’s vote share was 42.3 per cent of the total 54228 votes recorded on July 10. BSP’s Ubaidur Rehman finished third securing 23 percent votes.

Badrinath assembly constituency fell vacant as the then sitting Congress MLA Rajendra Singh Bhandari left the party during Lok Sabha polls 2024 concluded in June.

He joined the BJP supporting its Lok Sabha candidate Anil Baluni. Bhandari was fielded by the BJP in the byelection as he carried command over local public.

On the other hand Manglaur assembly byelection was necessitated owing to the death of former BSP MLA Sarvat Karim Ansari.

Reacting to the BJP’s loss, state party president Mahindra Bhatt said: “Bypoll defeat will be assessed and we will make a comeback in the next election.”

“The BJP is exposed now. People of Uttarakhand are feeling betrayed by the BJP. First they were answered by Lord Rama in Ayodhya and now Baba Badrinath has shown the doors to them,” said PCC president Karan Singh Mahara.