ITANAGAR, Oct 19 � The ruling Congress in Arunachal Pradesh has retained the Kanubari Assembly seat as its candidate Gabriel Denwang Wangsu defeated his BJP rival Rongnai Maham, by a margin of 885 votes.
The bye-election for the seat held on October 15 had witnessed a straight fight between the Congress nominee Wangsu and BJP�s Rongnai Maham. Wangsu, a former journalist, garnered 5231 votes, while Maham got 4346 votes, according to Election office sources.
The bye-poll was necessitated after the Kanubari seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent and veteran Congress leader Newlai Tingkhatra days before he was declared winner in the April 9, 2014 elections. The former Minister had died of a massive brain stroke in a Gurgaon hospital on May 7 last.
Meanwhile, a source said the Congress victory in the Kanubari bye-poll has once again proved that the Modi wave has not shaken the grand old party�s bastion in Arunachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Nabam Tuki congratulated Wangsu and thanked the electorates of the constituency.
�This bye-election was a litmus test for us and we have come out with flying colours,� Tuki observed in an indirect reference to the so called Modi-wave and BJP�s resurgence having little effect in this Himalayan State.
In the meantime, Opposition BJP said it gracefully accepted the verdict given by the people in the bye-election to Kanubari Assembly constituency of Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh. It also congratulated Gabriel D Wangsu for winning the election.
