Lohardaga bypoll results show people have lost faith in NDA

The Secretary of Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) S R A Rizvi Chabban today expressed confidence that the victory of JPCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat in the Lohardaga (ST) Assembly by-election will help the party to improve its position in the state.
In a statement issued here, Chabban said the victory of Bhagat would help the party to improve its status in the state and also provide a right direction to the party.
"The bypoll verdict has clearly indicated that the people of the state have lost faith in the one-year-old Raghubar Das-headed NDA government and want a change in the state," he said.

Taking a dig at former the Chief Minister Babulal Marandi-led Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), Chabban said the Lohardaga result was a lesson for the JVM(P), which was direction less in the state, and it should rethink about its future policies for its survival.
Bhagat has defeated the NDA ally Ajsu party candidate Niru Shanti Bhagat by over 23,000 votes.
Former Jharkhand Minister Bandhu Tirkey, who had contested the bypoll on a JVM(P) ticket, finished third.
The bypoll, held on December 14, was necessitated after the seat fell vacant following the disqualification of Ajsu party member Kamal Kishore Bhagat from the Assembly.

Bhagat was convicted and sent to jail for five years in connection with a 1993 criminal case. Niru Shanti is his wife.