As the National Democratic Alliance scripted its most decisive win ever in Bihar and victories in two seats that went to bypolls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people for voting the BJP to power in Jammu and Kashmir's Nagrota and Odisha's Nuapada.
Addressing BJP workers and supporters at the party's headquarters in New Delhi, PM Modi said, "They (the people) have given the BJP victory in bypolls. This is not just the NDA's win, it is the win of democracy. These elections have strengthened people's belief in the Election Commission."
Devyani Rana won the Nagrota bypoll that was necessitated due to the death of her father Devender Singh Rana, who was the sitting MLA from the constituency at the time.
Rana defeated Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) candidate Harsh Dev Singh by 24,647 votes. National Conference candidate Shamim Begum, who got 10,872 votes, lost her deposit.
In Nuapada, BJP's Jay Dholakia beat Ghasi Ram Majhi of the Congress by a huge margin of 83,748 votes. Jay is the son of late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, whose death necessitated the bypoll.
Other bypolls were held in Anta (Rajasthan), Ghatshila (Jharkhand), Jubilee Hills (Telangana), Tarn Taran (Punjab), Budgam (Jammu and Kashmir) and Dampa (Mizoram).
