Setback for Modi, Congress wins Guj assembly seat

In a setback to the Narendra Modi government, opposition Congress on Wednesday snatched the Mansa assembly seat from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party by over 8,000 votes.

Congress candidate Babuji Thakore defeated BJP's D D Patel in the constituency which has remained loyal to the saffron party since 1995.

Though the term of the MLA from this seat will be just eight months, the election was made a prestige issue by both the parties as this was the last important poll before the assembly elections, to be held in December this year.

The Congress has termed the victory as significant as the Mansa assembly segment falls under Gandhinagar, the seat of power of the Modi government.

"This is a victory of team Congress. This victory, just 20 km from where Narendra Modi rules, has proven that the people have realised that the so called claim of progress by his government is not true. This result will definitely have an impact on the state assembly elections," said Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi.

Trying to put up a brave face after the drubbing, the BJP alleged that Congress workers have gone berserk even though they had just won a single seat.

"We accept the mandate of the people from Mansa. It seems that the Congress workers have lost their balance just by one win and turned unruly after the victory," said BJP state unit president R C Faldu.

Mansa has been represented by the BJP from 1995, but the margin of victory has remained slender for the party.

In 2007, BJP leader Mangaldas Patel had defeated Thakore by 3,000 votes.

This by-election was necessitated following the death of Patel.