“The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has taken a hit in by-elections for the Lower House of India’s Parliament. A win in Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s largest state, was crucial for the BJP, which holds power both in the state and the national administration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi even inaugurated a highway that was not even one-third finished just a day before the polls on Sunday.
But it all came to a nought, as the results began to show that the combined opposition candidate had a clear, unassailable lead. This is a big loss for the BJP. In March, BJP lost the seats of Gorakhpur and Phulpur in by-elections when elected Members of Parliament (MP) moved to the state assembly. These seats were held by the state’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. Now the loss in Kairana is proving to be a bigger blow.”
Source: BJP loses key byelections, looks vulnerable for 2019 | Asia Times
