Babulal won Koderma bypoll due to sympathy wave: BJP

Ranchi, Nov 13 (UNI) The BJP today termed the defeat of the BJP and victory of JVM leader in Koderma Babulal Marandi as an outcome of people's ''sympathy'' towards him.

Party's state president Yadunath Pandey, talking to reporters here said, ''The party workers did their job ''honestly and efficiently'' but the result was ''unfavourable'' for the BJP due to sympathy wave in favour of Mr Marandi.'' Mr Marandi won the Koderma parliamentary seat by defeating his nearest rival Manoj Yadav of the Congress by a margin of over 1,94,000 votes. Mr Pranab Verma from the BJP was placed third with 1,15,892 votes.

''Gain or loss of one seat would not affect the NDA,'' Mr Pandey said.

He said district presidents of Giridih and Koderma resigned from thier chair taking moral responsibility of the defeat but their resignations were not accepted by the party.

Critising the Jharkhand government's step to invite Railway Minister Lalu Prasad as chief guest on the State Estblishment Day celebration, Mr Pandey said Mr Prasad was among the strong protesters of separate Jharkhand and the state government had insulted the martyrs of the state by inviting him.

Demanding the implementation of death sentence for Afzal Guru, who was pronounced death sentence by the Supreme Court, Mr Pandey said the party would launch a signature campaign in favour of the demand.

He said party workers would leave for Delhi on November 20 to participate in Parliament gherao scheduled on November 22.

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