The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, February 25, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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Uttaranchal goes to Cong

Dehra Dun, February 24
The Congress today stormed to power in Uttaranchal bagging 36 seats in the 70-member Assembly.

The ruling BJP could win only 19 seats as the results of all 70 seats were declared this evening.

Uttaranchal Assembly final party position
Total seats	70
Election held	70
INC	36
BJP	19
BSP	7
UKD	4
Independents	3
NCP	1

The BJP suffered a string of defeats when its main bigwigs like former Chief Minister Nityanand Swami, Sports Minister Narayan Singh Rana, Tourism Minister Kedar Singh Fonia and Finance Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal lost at the hustings.

Except Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Health Minister Ajay Bhatt and Urban Development Minister Harbans Kapoor, all BJP ministers have lost.

Significantly, the BJP has virtually lost ground in the Garhwal region while it has been able to save its face in the Kumaon region.

The BSP sprang a surprise when it won seven seats, a majority of them coming from Hardwar district.

On the other hand, the Uttarankhand Kranti Dal, which spearheaded the separate statehood movement in the 1990s, managed to win only four seats.

Congress Legislature Party leader Indira Hridayesh and its state General Secretary Kishore Upadhaya won convincingly from the Haldwani and Tehri seats, respectively.

State Congress President Harish Rawat said the Congress Legislature Party would meet shortly to decide on the choice of its leader but the final decision on it would be taken by party President Sonia Gandhi. PTI

Cong ahead in Manipur

Manipur Assembly party position
Total seats	60
Results declared	31
MSCP	3
FPM	7
MPP	2
BJP	3
INC	11
MNC	1
CPI	1
Samata Party	1
NCP	2

Imphal, February 24
Coming from behind, the Congress was marching ahead in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, romping home in 11 seats pushing the BJP and the Federal Party of Manipur (FPM) far behind with three and seven seats, respectively.

Of the four seats declared so far from the hills, Saitu, Chingai and Tadubi went to the Congress, while the Chandel seat was captured by the BJP where the Congress had to withdraw its candidate following the NSCN (IM) threat.

The CPI which had never struck a purple patch in the state, however, managed to open its account wresting the Kakching seat where its candidate Thockchom Tomba defeated N. Nimai of the Congress.

The BJP and the MSCP were trailing far behind with three each, while the MNC won two, Samata Party one, and MPP two. MSCP's Konthoujam Govindas Singh was declared elected from Bishnupur, defeating his nearest rival N. Sanajasba Singh (DRPP).

The NCP also opened its account to the Assembly when L. Radhakishore was declared elected from Oinam. UNI