According to the latest data from the Election Commission, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is currently leading in all eight of the constituencies in which by-polls were held in Gujarat. While the heavy leads that the BJP has managed to rack up in Gujarat by-polls have already sparked celebrations at the state BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar, the Gujarat Congress leaders have started conceding defeat. Even before the actual results are out, Congress seems to have abandoned all its hope.
Congress acknowledges it’s rout in the Gujarat by-polls
Paresh Dhanani, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi’s choice for Gujarat’s Leader of the Opposition post, took to Twitter to acknowledge Congress’ rout in the by-polls. In a bitter message in Gujarati, Paresh Dhanani- a third-time legislator and Patidar leader from Amreli, accepted people’s mandate, congratulated the winners and thanked the Congress supporters as he conceded defeat.
“પેટા ચૂંટણીના પરિણામ”
— Paresh Dhanani (@paresh_dhanani) November 10, 2020
પરિણામ ઈ અમારી ‘ઊણપો’નો અરિસો,
“જનાદેશ”નો નત મસ્તકે સ્વીકાર કરુ છુ,
મંદી, મોંઘવારી તથા બેરોજગારીને હરાવી
કાળાધનના કોથળાઓનો જ્વલંત વિજય,
ભાજપના “ભાઈ” અને “ભાઉ” સહિત
વિજેતા ઉમેદવારોને અંતરથી અભિનંદન,
આઝાદીની લડાઈમા અડીખમ ઊભેલા
કોંગ્રેસી કાર્યકરોને સલામ..!
Interestingly, Hardik Patel, who was recently elevated to the post of working president of Congress’ Gujarat unit, also took to Twitter to acknowledge his parties defeat in the by-polls, based on the trends. He said that loss or victory might affect those who are attached only capitalistically with the party and not ideologically. He claimed that he would fight, win and stay in Congress until death.
हार-जीत के कारण पाले व्यापारी बदलते है, विचारधारा के अनुयायी नहीं। लड़ूँगा, जीतूँगा और मरते दम तक कांग्रेस में रहूँगा।
— Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) November 10, 2020
With the trends of counting of votes on Tuesday showing the BJP leading in all eight assembly constituencies in Gujarat, the party workers broke into celebration and burst firecrackers at its headquarter here. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told reporters the BJP’s showing in these by-elections was just a “trailer” of the outcome to be expected in upcoming elections to local bodies and in 2022 assembly polls.
Kamal Nath concedes defeat in Madhya Pradesh by-polls
Congress has not only conceded in Gujarat but it has conceded defeat in Madhya Pradesh. Former Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath has submitted to defeat in MP by-poll 2020, saying that he accepts the decision of the public.
“I accept the decision of the people. Thank the voters,” Congress’s Kamal Nath said on Tuesday as he conceded defeat in MP by-polls. This also when the counting of votes for the Madhya Pradesh by-elections, which was necessitated after 25 MLAs of the erstwhile Congress government led by its former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia switched over to the BJP in March 2020, leading to the fall of Kamal Nath’s 15-month-old government and the death of three sitting legislators, in currently underway.
Congress was rather overconfident in Madhya Pradesh of winning the by-polls. In fact, even before Madhya Pradesh went to vote for the 28 seats on November 3, the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh had declared that it would grab all the 28 seats and bounce back to power in the state.