The Bharatiya Janata Party won the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Manipur on Thursday in the bye-election held at the state assembly, IANS reported. In the 60-member Manipur Assembly, BJP’s Kshetrimayum Bhabananda won 39 votes while his only rival, Congress candidate Elangbam Dwijamani, got 21 votes.
The bye-election was necessitated following the death of Rajya Sabha member and Congress leader Haji Abdul Salam in February this year. The BJP and its allies have 38 members the Assembly. Six Congress MLAs have already joined the BJP in the last two months, reducing the strength of Congress in the Assembly from 28 to 22 seats.
Bhabananda, the president of BJP’s Manipur unit, is an advocate who joined the party in 1995.
The N Biren Singh-led government in Manipur is in alliance with Lok Janshakti Party, National People’s Party, Naga Peoples Front and Trinamool Congress.
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