"People, Gen Z are angry with BJP": TMC MP Saugata Roy on Bankipur bypoll results
New Delhi, August 4
After the Bharatiya Janata Party lost its stronghold, Bankipur in Bihar, in the bypolls, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said on Tuesday that the result reflected the anger of the people and Gen Z towards the BJP.
Jan Suraaj Party president Prashant Kishore defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar by a margin of 19324 votes, as per the Election Commission of India.
"The wind is against the BJP. People and Gen Z are angry with them. So they have to pay for it," Roy told ANI here.
Roy also said that the opposition is demanding accountability on the alleged theft of donations received at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
"The opposition wants the Home Minister to apologise and wants the answer on the Ram Mandir donation theft."
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party BJP chief Nitin Nabin said that the party will "introspect" and review the results of Bankipur and Datia.
"We accept the mandate received in today's three assembly by-elections. We express our heartfelt gratitude to the people of Manjalpur assembly constituency in Gujarat for expressing their faith in the Bharatiya Janata Party. We extend our warm congratulations to all the dedicated workers and office-bearers of the BJP for this victory," he wrote on Monday.
Coming on the heels of intense youth-led protests over exam paper leaks and rising unemployment, the loss signals a shifting political wind across the Hindi heartland, exposing vulnerable fault lines in the BJP's traditional strongholds.
In Bihar's urban bastion of Bankipur--a saffron stronghold since 1995 vacated by BJP National President Nitin Nabin--Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor secured his maiden electoral victory by a resounding 19,324 votes.
Simultaneously, in Madhya Pradesh's Datia, the Congress retained the key seat after defeating the BJP by over 6,000 votes.
The BJP's sole consolation came from Gujarat, where it retained the Manjalpur seat in Vadodara, albeit with a drastically reduced victory margin compared to the 2022 elections. BJP retained the seat, with Satish Patel beating Congress's Bhikhabhai Rabari by 30,630 votes. But that margin is a steep fall from the 1,00,754-vote landslide the party won there in the 2022 assembly election.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally someone is speaking the truth! The youth of this country is angry - exams cancelled, jobs nowhere, and prices rising everywhere. The Ram Mandir donation theft issue also needs serious answers. Winning one seat in Gujarat with reduced margin doesn't hide the bigger picture.
As someone watching Indian politics from abroad, this Bankipur result is indeed significant. A 19,000+ vote margin in a saffron stronghold isn't just a blip. Prashant Kishor clearly tapped into the youth frustration. The BJP needs to take these warning signs seriously before 2024 elections.
Respectfully, I think we should not jump to conclusions from one bypoll result. BJP still won Manjalpur and these are just small elections. But yes, the party must introspect on why the youth is feeling alienated. Unemployment is a real issue that cannot be brushed aside. 🙏
The wind is definitely changing! From Datia to Bankipur, the message is loud and clear - the public wants accountability. The donation theft issue, exam paper leaks, and lack of jobs - these are not small matters. PK ji played his cards perfectly. Jab tak desh ki janta jaagegi nahi, tab tak kuch nahi badlega!
It's interesting to see the comparison with the Manjalpur result - the margin dropped from 100,000 to 30,000. That's a 70% reduction! Even in their "victory," there's an underlying message of dissatisfaction. The Indian electorate is becoming more discerning and demanding accountability.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.