SILCHAR, May 16: The Ajmal factor, as expected, had massacred the traditional Muslim vote bank of the Congress, thus making the path of BJP to victory much easier as the saffron brigade candidate Kabindra Purkaystha won the Silchar Lok Sabha seat with a margin of 39,650 votes, pushing heavyweight Congress candidate Sontosh Mohan Dev to a poor third.
Badrauddin Ajmal of the AUDF finished second, polling 2,12,021 votes. Kabindra Purkaystha of BJP topped the list with 2,40,871 and Dev polled 1,95,243 to finish as third. Ajmal had maintained his supremacy in the Muslim area as he topped in three Assembly segments as Hindu votes were divided between Dev and Purkaystha. Dev maintained negligible lead in two Assembly segments whereas Purkayastha confirmed his victory with clear-cut majority in two segments with majority Hindu votes. It is to be noted that Dev, who was a Cabinet Minister of the erstwhile Manmohan Singh Government, won the 2004 election with a narrow margin of 20,200 votes.
The Assembly segment wise result clearly proved that there was major erosion of traditional Muslim as well as garden vote banks of the Congress. However, in Silchar segment, a strong fort of the saffron brigade, Dev could increase his share of votes in comparison to 2004. But last year the Lakhipur segment which ensured his victory, had miserably failed this time as Dev got a mere lead of 537 as against last year’s lead of more than 15,000.
Purkaysatha polled with 53,903 votes in Silchar LA segment while Dev got 41,236 votes. Ajmal snatched away 21,626 votes in Silchar while CPI-M finished with just 2,625 votes. In Lakhipur, Dev led the table with 28,724, trailed by Purkaystha with 28,237. But Ajmal surprised everyone by polling with 26,251 votes.
Last year, Dev polled with 41,287 votes in Lakhipur as against 26,042 by Purkaystha. In Katigorah and Sonai LA segment, Dev fared very badly and that sealed the fate of the veteran politician. In Sonai, Ajmal polled 45,297 votes, Purkaystha got 27,122 and Dev finished third with 25,244 votes. Last year Dev got 36,713 votes in Sonai as against 25,449 polled by Purkaystha. In Katigorah, Dev polled 42,045 votes last year while Purkaystha got 31,862. But this year, Ajmal had completely reversed the table by polling with 38,811 votes, trailed by Purkaystha’s 37,725 and Dev finished with just 19,833.
Ajmal showed his strength in another LA segment–Barkhola which had maximum number of Muslim votes– by polling with 29,981 votes while Purkaystha got 25,134 votes and Dev 21,465. Last year Dev polled 32,447 votes in Barkhola while Purkaystha got 25,429 votes. In Dholai, a strong bastion of the BJP, Purkaystha confirmed his victory by polling 40,711 votes while Dev got 29,209 and Ajmal 18,554.
The presence of Ajmal had added a colour of communal polarization this year in Silchar where almost 33 per cent Muslim votes always played as the deciding factor.
In a communally polarized backdrop, Dev’s slogan of development did not find any buyer. Moreover, the intra-fighting of the district Congress was also to be blamed for its poor showing.
On the other hand, BJP, right from the very beginning capitalized the communal polarization with its every wing working in a concerted note.
Ajmal, surprisingly, did not spend 100 hours in Silchar at a stretch, but his fire-spitting speech found an enthusiastic audience in the rural areas where he projected himself as the crusader for the cause of the Muslims.
Though the district administration had, for the last couple of weeks, cautioned the people of law and order situation as the gossip mills were running overtime, today’s counting passed off peacefully. The counting agents of all the political parties maintained restraint, so did the leaders. THE SENTINEL
Badrauddin Ajmal of the AUDF finished second, polling 2,12,021 votes. Kabindra Purkaystha of BJP topped the list with 2,40,871 and Dev polled 1,95,243 to finish as third. Ajmal had maintained his supremacy in the Muslim area as he topped in three Assembly segments as Hindu votes were divided between Dev and Purkaystha. Dev maintained negligible lead in two Assembly segments whereas Purkayastha confirmed his victory with clear-cut majority in two segments with majority Hindu votes. It is to be noted that Dev, who was a Cabinet Minister of the erstwhile Manmohan Singh Government, won the 2004 election with a narrow margin of 20,200 votes.
The Assembly segment wise result clearly proved that there was major erosion of traditional Muslim as well as garden vote banks of the Congress. However, in Silchar segment, a strong fort of the saffron brigade, Dev could increase his share of votes in comparison to 2004. But last year the Lakhipur segment which ensured his victory, had miserably failed this time as Dev got a mere lead of 537 as against last year’s lead of more than 15,000.
Purkaysatha polled with 53,903 votes in Silchar LA segment while Dev got 41,236 votes. Ajmal snatched away 21,626 votes in Silchar while CPI-M finished with just 2,625 votes. In Lakhipur, Dev led the table with 28,724, trailed by Purkaystha with 28,237. But Ajmal surprised everyone by polling with 26,251 votes.
Last year, Dev polled with 41,287 votes in Lakhipur as against 26,042 by Purkaystha. In Katigorah and Sonai LA segment, Dev fared very badly and that sealed the fate of the veteran politician. In Sonai, Ajmal polled 45,297 votes, Purkaystha got 27,122 and Dev finished third with 25,244 votes. Last year Dev got 36,713 votes in Sonai as against 25,449 polled by Purkaystha. In Katigorah, Dev polled 42,045 votes last year while Purkaystha got 31,862. But this year, Ajmal had completely reversed the table by polling with 38,811 votes, trailed by Purkaystha’s 37,725 and Dev finished with just 19,833.
Ajmal showed his strength in another LA segment–Barkhola which had maximum number of Muslim votes– by polling with 29,981 votes while Purkaystha got 25,134 votes and Dev 21,465. Last year Dev polled 32,447 votes in Barkhola while Purkaystha got 25,429 votes. In Dholai, a strong bastion of the BJP, Purkaystha confirmed his victory by polling 40,711 votes while Dev got 29,209 and Ajmal 18,554.
The presence of Ajmal had added a colour of communal polarization this year in Silchar where almost 33 per cent Muslim votes always played as the deciding factor.
In a communally polarized backdrop, Dev’s slogan of development did not find any buyer. Moreover, the intra-fighting of the district Congress was also to be blamed for its poor showing.
On the other hand, BJP, right from the very beginning capitalized the communal polarization with its every wing working in a concerted note.
Ajmal, surprisingly, did not spend 100 hours in Silchar at a stretch, but his fire-spitting speech found an enthusiastic audience in the rural areas where he projected himself as the crusader for the cause of the Muslims.
Though the district administration had, for the last couple of weeks, cautioned the people of law and order situation as the gossip mills were running overtime, today’s counting passed off peacefully. The counting agents of all the political parties maintained restraint, so did the leaders. THE SENTINEL
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