This Article is From Mar 21, 2012

Gujarat by-polls: Congress wins a seat long prized by BJP

Ahmedabad: The BJP has lost an important by-election in Gujarat for the state assembly. Its candidate in Mansa has been defeated by the Congress. The BJP had won this seat for the Gujarat Assembly the last four times.

Babu Singh Thakori from the Congress defeated BJP's D D Patel  by about 8,000 votes.

Gujarat votes for its next government later this year; today's by-election is the only major electoral contest before then.

In Karnataka as well, the BJP has suffered an embarrassment - it has lost the election in Udupi-Chikmagalur, which was the former constituency of chief minister Sadananda Gowda. The BJP's tallest leader in Karnataka, BS Yeddyurappa, had not campaigned here because  Mr Gowda had allegedly hinted that the corruption cases against Mr Yeddyurappa could damage the party's chances.

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