Modi sweep: 2 LS, 4 assembly seats in Gujarat go to BJP

Ahmedabad, June 5: Even as the debate over leadership in the party rages on, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won Porbandar and Banaskantha Lok Sabha seats and four Assembly seats (Limbadi, Morva Hadaf, Dhoraji and Jetpur) on Wednesday, giving a major boost to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

By-elections for these seats were held on Sunday.

All eyes were on results of Porbandar Lok Sabha seat where BJP had given ticket to Vithhal Radadia, who had defected from the Congress and joined BJP. He defeated Congress rival Vinu Amipara.

In Banaskantha, Haribhai Chaudhary of BJP won against Krishna Gadhvi. Krishna's husband Mukesh Gadhvi's death had made the seat vacant.

The by-polls were a real test for the Congress as all six seats were held by it.

BJP's Jayesh Radadia, who had defected from Congress with his father Vithhal Radadia, won the Jetpur Assembly seat defeating Jagdish Pambhar of Congress.

Nimisha Suthar from BJP won the Morva Hadaf (ST) Assembly seat by defeating Congress candidate Bhupendrasinh Khant. The seat was held by Bhupendrasinh's mother Savita Khant, who died during the counting of Assembly elections last December.

Former state minister and BJP leader Kiritsinh Rana won Limbadi seat by defeating Congress candidate Satish Patel. The bye-election was necessitated after Congress MP Soma Patel, who won Limbadi Assembly seat too, resigned as an MLA. Congress had fielded his son Satish Patel on the seat.

The Dhoraji Assembly seat fell vacant after Vithhal Radadia left Congress to join BJP and resigned as an MLA. BJP candidate Pravin Mankadia has won defeating Congress rival Haribhai Patel.

With today's results, the BJP tally has reached 115 in the 182-member assembly. The Congress: 57, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP): 2, Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP): 2 and Independent and JD(U) have one member each.

The voter turnout was average. For the Porbandar and Banaskantha Lok Sabha seats, 30 and 37 percent voting was registered respectively.

For the assembly seats of Limbadi, Morva Hadaf, Dhoraji and Jetpur 62 percent, 64 percent, 33 percent and 45 percent voting was recorded.

OneIndia News