Facing a setback in bypolls since 2019 with more recently in Mandar where BJP candidate Gangotri Kujur lost to Congress candidate Shipli Neha Tirkey daughter of former MLA Bandhu Tirkey, the BJP today claimed that its support base in Mandar is growing day by day.
The State BJP leaders confidently claimed that BJP will get public support in the next by-election of the state. The leaders claimed that it is evident from increasing vote share of BJP candidates in the four by-elections held in the state since 2019. Rajya Sabha MP Aditya Sahu said in a press conference at the party office that the Mander by-election was held recently, BJP candidate vote share has gone up.
In 2014, the BJP candidate got 54 thousand votes. In 2019, the BJP candidate polled 68 thousand votes. In the recent by-poll the BJP candidate polled 72 thousand votes. Considering the demographics here, this increasing vote percentage assumes importance as in such a situation, we hope that in the next election, lotus will bloom in Mandar.
In the Mandar assembly by-election, Congress candidate Shilpa Neha Tirkey won by 23,517 votes. Shilpa got 95,062 votes, while BJP candidate Gangotri Kujur, who came second, got 71,545 votes.
Over 61.25 per cent of about 3.5 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the election, held on June 23. The by-election was necessitated after the disqualification of Bandhu Tirkey as an MLA in the wake of his conviction in a corruption case.
Dumka, Bermo, Madhupur and Mandar seats have also belonged to the ruling parties. The vote percentage of BJP has increased in the by-elections as compared to 2019. In the next elections, only BJP will lead in these places. State Vice President and former MLA Gangotri Kujur and others were also present in the press conference.
Aditya Sahu said that no person contests elections in BJP. Collective leadership and each and every worker fights, works hard. BJP is a party of workers. The arrogant Bandhu Tirkey and the Congress party tricked the poor. He said that everyone knows what condition the ruling party has brought to the state in the last two-three years. Bandhu Tirkey was an MLA for two and a half years now. They should tell what schemes they could bring in their Mandar in so many years, who benefited them by putting them on the ground.
Sahu also said that Bandhu Tirkey should stop unrestrained rhetoric against former CM Babulal. He said that Bandhu Tirkey has targeted Babulal as patron of land brokers. In such a situation the Congress leader should reveal the names of such brokers. It is not right to defame someone like Marandi. There was no allegation of corruption against Babulal Marandi as the first CM of the state. Even today the public remembers the works done during his tenure.