Goldy gets Cong back to winning

GARHSHANKAR: As soon as Luv Kumar Goldy was declared the winner here, the Congress camp broke into a frenzy.
A huge procession was taken out in the town with Goldy atop a Gypsy. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the Khalsa College on the Anandpur Sahib road and celebrated the Congress victory.
Attributing his success to senior Congress leaders, including Punjab chief minister and local bodies minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Goldy said under their guidance he would fulfil the promises the party has made to the electorate.
The Congress had played the development card and made tall promises of eradicating water and health problems.
Goldy had also sought vote on his father''s name Sarvan Ram, who had been MLA from Garhshankar twice in 1980 and 1985.
The Congress'' success must have also relieved Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh. He had visited the constituency seven times to ensure Goldy''s victory. It is being viewed that the CM very keenly monitored the Garhshankar by-poll.
Goldy''s whose win had been predicted on the day of the polling itself had remote chances of victory when the ticket was announced.
The wave slowly but surely had shifted towards the ruling party and the CM''s visit on the last two days ensured that Goldy would romp home with a huge margin.
Commenting on his party''s loss, BJP state president Avinash Rai Khanna claimed the government had misused official machinery to lure voters. He said alcohol and money had played a big role.
The CPM polled only 9,129 votes but the surprise was the sharp fall in the BSP votes. The Dalits wholeheartedly supported the Congress.
The BSP, who has returned a MLA twice from this constituency, could manage only 4,139. Independent candidate and former BSP MLA Shingara Ram Shaungra did a shade better and polled 5,989 votes.
Chaudhary Jagjit Singh in charge of the Garhshnkar by poll and who lured the Dalit vote, said, that he would ensure that all promises are kept.