BJP has retained Tharali, Tehri Chamoli, Uttarakhand assembly seat by-election. It was a closely contested battle where the wife of deceased sitting BJP legislator Magan Lal Shah, Munni Devi, defeated her  Congress rival, former MLA Jeet Ram by 1900 votes.

Congrats to BJP for retaining the seat.

That said, certain sections of the media are describing the defeat a big set back for the Congress party. According to them, the party desperately wanted to win the seat and hence had put in all its might behind the contest.

Rationally speaking, it will be wrong to say that any party contesting an election didn't try its best or; had taken the election casually. It never happens in any contest. Even though Congress lost the Tharali by-election, it is rational to assume that it lost after putting its best feet forward. In fact it did and it is also visible by the loss margin. Three other candidates in the fray from the seat lost their deposits.

But it will be far more wrong to say that Tharali by-election was not a prestige issue for the BJP, the party in power. In fact, any by-election is more a question of prestige for the party in power than that in Opposition. It was this prestige question which made half of the ministers in present BJP Government in Uttarakhand set up camp in Tharali a month prior to the voting. While reporting or analyzing on such issues, media must take this fact into consideration.

To conclude, the new Govt in Uttarakhand must start delivering on its promises now. It must also tell the Central Government to release its share of funds. The promises are piling up.

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