The Hindu : BJP snatches Solapur seat from Cong.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 30, 2003

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National

BJP snatches Solapur seat from Cong.

By Arunkumar Bhatt

MUMBAI Sept. 29. The BJP today snatched from the Congress the prestigious Solapur Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra, which the Chief Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, had vacated on assuming office.

The BJP nominee, Pratapsinh Mohite-Patil, defeated Anandrao Devkate with a huge margin of 1.22 lakh votes. The BJP claimed that it polled 18,000 more votes even in the Solapur South Assembly segment of the Lok Sabha constituency, which Mr. Devkate had vacated a few months ago for Mr. Shinde.The BJP described the outcome a `trailer' of the coming general elections in the State. The party general secretary, Pramod Mahajan, said the party owed the victory to Mr. Shinde and urged the Congress not to change the leadership in the State to ensure the victory of the saffron alliance.

The State BJP chief, Gopinath Munde, demanded Mr. Shinde's resignation and dissolution of the Assembly. He said the people have expressed their anger against the ruling Democratic Front.

Addressing reporters, Mr. Shinde said the defeat called for introspection.

Mr. Mohite-Patil is the brother of the State PWD Minister, Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, of the NCP. The BJP said his victory was due to the `nationalist' forces.

However, the NCP's State president, R.R. Patil, said the party supported the Congress candidate and had taken disciplinary action against those who worked for Mr. Mohite-Patil. He said that it was not the BJP's victory but the victory of the Mohite-Patils.

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