BJP snatches Congress bastion in Gujarat

GANDHINAGAR - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi got a perfect birthday gift Friday when his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Kathlal assembly seat, a Congress bastion, by over 21,000 votes.

This is the first time the BJP has won the seat, located in Kaira district. Kanubhai Dabhi of BJP bagged 62,120 votes against 40,573 votes of Ghelabhai Jhala (Congress).

Overjoyed BJP leaders termed it the best gift for Modi on his 60th birthday.

“This win is significant as it marks the defeat of the Congress-CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) conspiracy,” he said, in a reference to former home minister Amit Shah, arrested for his alleged involvement in the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh.

“Election results would have been declared earlier but the Congress conspired with the Election Commission to get re-polling done in seven booths. But the people saw through the ploy and the BJP steamrolled the opposition in these booths,” he added.

District Congress president Ramsinh Parmar, however, attributed the ruling BJP’s victory to large-scale misuse of official machinery.

The polling in Kathlal was held Sep 13 with over 62 percent of people voting. The by-election followed the death of Congress legislator Gautam Zala, who represented the seat.