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Dungarpur result a shock to Raje Govt.

Special Correspondent

Congress retains the seat by increasing 10-fold its slender winning margin of 2003

JAIPUR: The Dungarpur voters spoilt the Rajasthan Government's birthday bash as the by-election result from the constituency on Thursday, the eve of its third anniversary of the current regime, dashed Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's hopes of yet another victory.

Despite the best efforts of the ruling party, the Congress retained the seat reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, that too by increasing 10-fold its slender winning margin of 2003.

The Congress candidate, Punjilal Parmar, defeated his rival Surmal Parmar of the BJP by 9,879 votes. According to Manju Rajpal, Dungarpur District Collector and Returning Officer, Punjilal polled 49,067 votes against 39,188 cast in favour of Surmal. The Independent candidate, Velaram received 6,143 votes.

The by-election was necessitated by the death of Congress MLA Nathu Ram Ahari who had won the seat by a small margin of 736 votes in 2003 when the Congress lost 27 of 32 seats in the tribal belt to the BJP. Of the total electorate of 1.59 lakh in the constituency, 58.8 per cent had exercised their franchise this time. In the previous elections the polling percentage was 59.94.

While the Cabinet Ministers scurried for cover during the day, BJP State president Mahesh Sharma tried to underplay the significance of the result. "Dungarpur is a traditional Congress seat. We tried our best and an atmosphere too could be built up in our favour during the campaign. Yet we fell short of winning," he said.

If the BJP camp was stung by the result, coming as it did after the whole Cabinet camping in the area for a fortnight and Ms. Raje herself making three visits there, the Congress camp was no less "shocked" by the victory margin.

Though the Congress party leaders were keeping a brave front, none of them was totally confident of a good margin.

"The countdown of the Raje Government has started. The people have started resenting the BJP misrule in the State," said Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot in a statement from Delhi. "The election result is a testimony of Adivasis' abounding faith in Congress policies and the leadership of Sonia Gandhi," he said.

Indira Gandhi Bhawan, the headquarters of the Pradesh Congress Committee here, wore a festive look as the election result came in. The party workers were found distributing sweets on the roads as a band played at the main gate of the building.

Talking to journalists in the afternoon, PCC president B.D.Kalla said the favourable outcome of the by-poll was a public reaction to the BJP misrule. "The election result will have a far-reaching effect on the politics of Rajasthan," he said.

"I thank the voters of Dungarpur for not succumbing to the temptations offered by the ruling party." He attributed the victory to the policies of the Central leadership and the unity among the Congressmen in the State.

The Left parties also termed the Dungarpur result a rebuff to "anti-farmer and anti-poor policies" of the State Government. "The Chief Minister and the Home Minister who had made the by-election a prestige issue have been humbled by the voters," CPI (M) State secretary Vasudev said.

Welcoming the election result, Dushyant Ojha, CPI State secretary, appealed to all like-minded parties to keep up the tempo till the next elections.

"The whole State is waiting to give a similar result," he said.

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