New Delhi: Congress on Saturday defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a bye-election for Timisgam seat of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Council (LADHC) Leh with a margin of 273 votes.
After the nomination papers of the Aam Aadmi Party candidate were rejected, the election turned into a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress, besides as the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) did not field their candidates, the non-BJP votes did not split.
The seat had fallen vacant after the death of Congress councillor Sonam Dorjey, sources said. Congress candidate Tashi Tundup polled 861 votes against BJP candidate Dorjay Namgyal’s 588 votes. According to reports, 67.36% polling was recorded for the seat on Tuesday.
A total of 1, 467 votes were cast of which the Congress polled 861 and the BJP candidate got 588 and 14 were under NOTA category. Four votes were rejected. The BJP which is leading the LADHC made all efforts to win the seat, but their strategy did not click with the voters who were angry with the BJP for not granting the Sixth Schedule to the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Congress general secretary Jaioram Ramesh wrote to a microblogging site: “Here is some breaking for Modi, Shah and Azad. The Congress party has defeated the BJP by a convincing margin in the Temisgam bye-election to the Ladakh Hill Council. Congratulations to the Ladakh District Congress Committee!”
