On the eve of polling for by-polls at Gorakhpur and Phulpur Parliamentary constituencies, the Bharatiya Janta Party suffered a setback when it’s candidate lost the bypoll for Bithari Chainpur block chairman’s post in Bareilly. Samajwadi Party candidate Vijendra Singh supported by the Bahujan Samaj Party won the election defeating the ruling party nominee by 3 votes on Saturday.
The BJP candidate’s defeat is being seen as a major dampener for the ruling party as it had MlAs in all nine Assembly segments of Bareilly as well as both lok Sabha seats. Even the Mayoral election was recently won by the BJP.
The election was held after the seat fell vacant due to no-confidence motion moved against the sitting chairman Devendra Singh Gangwar - brother of former BSP MlA Virendra Singh Gangwar.
Reports said that 111 members cast their vote in the bypolls for Bithari Chainpur block chairman’s post in which SP candidate, Vijendra Singh got 44 votes, while BJP’s nominee Gaurav Singh Arman received 41 votes. A total of 26 votes were cancelled for various reasons.
The local BJP MlA from Bithari Chainpur, Rajesh Mishra aka Pappu strongly supported and worked to ensure the victory of party candidate Gaurav Singh but failed to garner enough support.
Speaking to the media, victorious SP candidate Virendra Singhsaid that members supported the SP ideology and voted against the misrule of BJP. Singh further claimed that even in in the bypolls for Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats, the SP candidates supported by the BSP would emerge victorious defeating the BJP candidates.