BJP Face Major Setback in Himachal, Left Front secures absolute majority in Tripura

Shimla,Saturday, March 01, 2003: Stymying BJP's attempt to repeat Gujarat, the Congress Saturday bounced back to power in Himachal Pradesh securing absolute majority bagging 40 seats in the 68-member assembly. BJP, which had led a wafer-thin majority coalition government, could win only 16 seats with a number of its stalwarts including half a dozen ministers, Speaker Ghulab Chand Thakur and state unit president Jai Kishan Sharma, biting the dust. Himachal Vikas Congress, whose three members provided life support to BJP in forming the previous government, was also routed with its president Sukh Ram being the sole winner. Ram vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party and Himachal Loktantrik Morcha won one seat each and independents six. Parties like CPI(M), CPI BSP, SP and NCP drew a blank.

BJP suffered a net loss of 19 seats while the Congress, which had 26 seats, gained 14. Two BJP ministers Mansa Ram and Rakash Chowdhary who were elected on HVC ticket in 1998 but later defected to the Congress and again contested as HVC nominees lost the elections. Polling for three constituencies in the state would be held in June due to inclement weather. The impressive march of Congress to victory was led by leader of the opposition Virbhadra Singh and PCC chief Vidya Stokes, who won from Rohroo and Kumarsain respectively. -Keralamonitor.com

BJP to analyse its defeat in HP

New Delhi,Saturday, March 01, 2003: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and other top BJP leaders, including party President M Venkaiah Naidu, will analyse the party's defeat in Himachal Pradesh and discuss the future course of action. "The meeting will discuss the outcome of the Himachal Pradesh elections as also the future course of action by the party in the coming months," Naidu told reporters here after a meeting at his residence today attended by Advani, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi and senior party leader Kailashpati Mishra. The meeting will discuss in detail the extent to which dissidence and rebels had a role in the defeat and measures to strengthen the organisation in the state as dissidence was one of the major cause of the defeat, Naidu said.

Left Front secures absolute majority in Tripura

Agartala, Mar 1 (UNI) The Ruling CPI(M)-led Left Front in Tripura secured absolute majority, romping home in 31 of the 42 seats, declared so far, leaving far behind its arch rival Congress-INPT alliance with eleven seats. The CPI(M) wrested three seats - Boxanagar, Bagma (ST) and Birganj from the Congress, while the latter wrested Kadamtala seat and the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) wrested Takarjala segment from the CPI(M). In a major setback, Opposition leader Jawahar Saha (Congress) lost his Birganj seat to his CPI(M) rival Ranjit Debnath by a margin of about 3,000 votes, while State Assembly Speaker Jitendra Sarkar suffered a humiliating defeat to his Congress rival Ashok Kumar Baidya.

Of the 42 seats, declared so far, 28 seats - Manu(ST), Kurti, Pecharthal (ST), Kamalpur, Khayerpur, Simna(ST), Ramchandra Ghat(ST), Rajnagar(SC), Kamalasagar, Pabiachara(SC), Surma(SC) Pratapgarh(SC), Khowai, Fatikroy, Salgarh(SC), Asharambari(ST), Chandipur, Krishnapur(ST), Sonamura Belonia, Dharmanagar, Nalchar, Radhakishorepur, Kanchanpur, Dhanpur, Majlishpur, Sabroom, Salema, were retained by the CPI(M)-led Left Front, while it, wrested Boxanagar, Birganj and Bagma(ST) seats from the Congress. -Keralamonitor.com

Cong storms to power in HP with absolute majority

Shimla, Mar 1 The Congress today stormed to power in Himachal Pradesh, securing an absolute majority in the 68-member Assembly. Of the 64 results declared so far, the Congress bagged as many as 40 seats while the BJP could manage to win only 15. The result of the Balh constituency in Mandi district is awaited. The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) of former Union Minister Sukh Ram, the Lok Janshakti Party and the Loktantrik Morcha won one seat each while Independents managed to secure as many as six seats. The CPI(M), the CPI, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Samajwadi Party and the Bhujan Samajwadi Party drew a blank. The election was held for 65 seats only as the polling was deferred to June eight in three tribal assembly constituencies Lahaul Spiti(ST), Kinnaur (ST) and Bharmour(ST) due to adverse weather conditions. -Keralamonitor.com