Monday, May 19, 2014

South Andaman District Votes: Defeat for Kuldeep or Congress?

South Andaman District Votes
Defeat for Kuldeep or Congress?

By Zubair Ahmed

In the 16th Lok Sabha elections, Bishnu Pada Ray of Bharatiya Janata Party retained the lone seat in A&N Lok Sabha Constituency by defeating the nearest rival, Kuldeep Rai Sharma of Indian National Congress by a margin of 7812 votes..

TEHSIL
BJP
INC
LEAD
PORT BLAIR
41336
26474
14862
LITTLE ANDAMAN
4889
3665
1224
FERRAR GUNJ
13213
13412
-199

59438
43551
15887

In this election, South Andaman District, especially Port Blair and Ferrar Gunj Tehsil voted unpredictably giving a clear cut mandate to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Was this mandate a referendum against Congress or its candidate Kuldeep Rai Sharma? asks many Congressmen.

PORT BLAIR (MUNICIPAL)
BJP
INC
LEAD
WARD-1
1590
1096
494
WARD-2
1797
1508
289
WARD-3
1491
1131
360
WARD-4
1766
1470
296
WARD-5
1257
956
301
WARD-6
1139
587
552
WARD-7
1230
888
342
WARD-8
2594
1144
1450
WARD-9
1017
537
480
WARD-10
2018
1224
794
WARD-11
1436
884
552
WARD-12
1268
1069
199
WARD-13
952
827
125
WARD-14
1380
635
745
WARD-15
925
295
630
WARD-16
1097
902
195
WARD-17
2339
1423
916
WARD-18
1511
759
752

26807
17335
9472

Port Blair Municipal area, the bastion of Congress with its own Council in power betrayed en masse, whereas Ferrar Gunj Tehsil was a mixed bag with a small lead for Congress.

In Little Andaman, except Harminder Bay, it was a clean sweep for Bharatiya Janata Party leading in all booths.

In Port Blair Municipal area, Bishnu Pada Ray surpassed Kuldeep in all 18 wards. It is notable that PBMC is under the control of Congress with K Ganeshan as the Chairman. BJP garnered 26807 votes whereas Congress could manage only 17335 votes with BJP getting a lead of 9472 votes.

In Ward No. 7, where Kuldeep Rai Sharma resides, he could only get 888 votes whereas Bishnu got 1230 votes.

It is also observed that in all Telugu-dominated wards like Haddo and Dairy Farm, BJP had huge margin over Congress.

In Port Blair Rural, except Calicut and Sippighat, Congress lagged behind in all Panchayats. Neil and Havelock gave clear mandate to Bishnu Pada Ray. In Neil Island, Congress got 684 votes whereas BJP secured 1064 votes. In Havelock, BJP secured 1702 votes and Congress had to satisfy with just 1358 votes.

PORT BLAIR RURAL
INC
BJP
LEAD
DOLLY GUNJ
484
829
345
PAHARGAON
670
1221
551
BHATU BASTI
815
1768
953
ATTAM PAHAD
77
374
297
GARACHARMA
1100
1911
811
TEYLARABAD
350
532
182
BIMBLITAN
249
425
176
SIPPIGHAT
423
362
-61
PROTHRAPORE
1197
2156
959
BIRCHGUNJ
278
522
244
CALICUT
746
625
-121
BEODNABAD
139
371
232
RANGACHANG
346
446
100
CHIDIYAPATU
80
130
50
RUTLAND
60
43
-17
BADAKHADI
67
41
-26
STRAIT ISLAND
16
8
-8
HAVELOCK
1358
1702
344
NEIL ISLAND
684
1063
379

9139
14529
5390

In Prothrapore, Sanjay Meshack of Aam Aadmi Party could only garner 467 votes, whereas BJP got 2156 votes and Congress 1197 votes.

In Strait IslandRutland and Bada Khadi, Congress had a minor lead.

FERRARGUNJ TEHSIL
INC
BJP
Lead
SHOAL BAY
425
482
57
FERRAR GUNJ
776
1010
234
WIMBERLY GUNJ
1641
815
-826
MANNARGHAT
1080
298
-782
BAMBOOFLAT
1676
1553
-123
SHORE POINT
732
964
232
HOPE TOWN
938
535
-403
STEWART GUNJ
655
163
-492
MITHAKHARI
974
638
-336
TUSONABAD
1206
1024
-182
WANDOOR
1259
2623
1364
GUPTAPARA
253
430
177
CHOULDHARI
484
1270
786
NAMUNAGHAR
434
675
241
BINDRABAN
879
733
-146

13412
13213
-199

In Ferrar Gunj Tehsil, both the parties got almost equal votes with a small margin in favour of Congress. Congress had lead in Mannarghat, Wimberly Gunj, Stewart Gunj, Bindraban, Tusonabad, Mithakhari, Bambooflat and Hope Town. In all other Panchayats, BJP secured more votes than Congress. Kuldeep gained 13412 votes and BP Ray 13213 votes with Kuldeep leading by 199 votes.

In Little Andaman, BJP secured 4889 votes whereas Congress could only garner 3665 votes. In Harminder Bay, the Nicobari tribals voted en bloc in favour of Congress. In Butler Bay, Prakash Minj secured more votes than both the national parties.

LITTLE ANDAMAN TEHSIL
INC
BJP
LEAD
BUTLER BAY
91
141
50
DUGONG CREEK
9
18
9
HARMINDER BAY
658
25
-633
HUT BAY-I
218
329
111
HUT BAY-II
171
232
61
HUT BAY-III
386
251
-135
HUT BAY-IV
245
297
52
HUT BAY-V
178
232
54
HUT BAY-VI
138
169
31
NETAJI NAGAR
215
358
143
RABINDER NAGAR -I
230
358
128
RABINDER NAGAR -II
171
199
28
RAMAKRISHNAPUR-I
171
579
408
RAMAKRISHNAPUR-II
178
590
412
RAMAKRISHNAPUR-III
267
447
180
VIVEKANANDAPUR -I
193
360
167
VIVEKANANDAPUR -II
146
304
158

3665
4889
1224

In fact, this election was a referendum between Kuldeep Rai Sharma and Bishnu Pada Ray, and when the votes were counted, Bishnu could manage lead starting from Diglipur and the trend never changed till it reached Campbell Bay.

And, if closely observed, Bishnu could not bring a huge lead from North and Middle Andamans, and Congress party too got a fair percentage of votes from the district. But, it was Kuldeep's own home turf which provided him a taste of defeat once again. With all resources at his disposal with Zilla Parishad, majority of the Panchayats and above all, Port Blair Municipal Council, he could not surge ahead of Bishnu Pada Ray.

"Its not Congress party or its policies which has been rejected by the electorate, but Kuldeep Rai Sharma," said a senior Congress leader on anonymity. "Or, why the same trend which was there in North and Middle Andaman did not continue in South Andaman?" he asked.

Another youth leader, who also did not want to be named, said that with a safe and secure Nicobar and a small lead in Campbell Bay and a meager setback of around 6000 votes from N&MA District, why couldn't Kuldeep cover up the trail in Port Blair, his home ground?

"This is a mandate against Port Blair Municipal Council too, as we have voted out Congress in all the wards," said a jubilant BJP worker, when asked to comment on the performance of his party in Port Blair, the capital of A&N Islands. 

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