Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Thursday retained Gomia Assembly seat in the by-election serving a big blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
In Gomia, JMM's candidate Babita Devi defeated AJSU nominee Lambodar Mahto by 13,00 votes while BJP's nominee Madhavlal Singh stood third on the seat, state Chief Electoral Officer L Khiangte said.
In Silli, JMM's Seema Mahto defeated AJSU chief and former state Deputy Chief Minister Sudesh Mahto by 13,000 votes. Both the seats were with the JMM.
The bypolls were necessitated following the conviction of the JMM MLAs Yogendra Mahto and Amit Mahto.
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During Monday's voting, Gomia registered 62 per cent voter turnout.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das campaigned for BJP candidate Madav Lal Singh in Gomia. A united opposition had been rallying for JMM candidates on both seats.
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Attacking the Congress, Das had said, "Congress party which has ruled the country for more than 60 years has now been reduced to a regional party's status. In Karnataka, Congress is carrying the Janata Dal Secular on its shoulders while in Jharkhand it was doing the same with the JMM."
On the other hand, JMM president Shibu Soren, former chief minister and executive president of the party Hemant Soren, and former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay also canvassed in the bye-elections.
Soren said, "The Raghubar Das government has failed on all fronts. It is involved in plundering the state. Time has come to teach the Bharatiya Janata Party a lesson."
