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In 7 Kerala Seats, BJP Finished 2nd; Tally In Bengal Goes From Zero To Three

In 7 Kerala Seats, BJP Finished 2nd; Tally In Bengal Goes From Zero To Three
Party symbol Lotus is projected behind as India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, addresses a rally in Patna, India, Sunday, Oct.27, 2013. A series of small bomb blasts killed some people and injured dozens Sunday just hours before the campaign rally by Modi. (AP Photo/Aftab Alam Siddiqui)
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Party symbol Lotus is projected behind as India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, addresses a rally in Patna, India, Sunday, Oct.27, 2013. A series of small bomb blasts killed some people and injured dozens Sunday just hours before the campaign rally by Modi. (AP Photo/Aftab Alam Siddiqui)

BJP has made clear inroads into Kerala, though LDF has won the state with a whopping majority. Not only has it won its first seat in that state, thanks to 86-year-old O. Rajagopal, it has finished second in seven constituencies.

According to the latest data available with the election commission, BJP's vote share has risen to 10.6 percent. When the results of the 2011 assembly elections were declared, BJP's vote-share stood at a measly 6.03 percent.

In several seats, the BJP came a close second.

It came as no surprise, therefore, that an elated Narendra Modi congratulated his party cadres in the state and applauded their hard work.

I salute all those who built the BJP in Kerala, brick by brick, decade after decade. It is due to them that we are seeing this day.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 19, 2016

In Kerala, the persistence of the Party has paid off today & we will become an even stronger voice of the people. @BJP4Keralam

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 19, 2016

Following is a summary of votes that BJP candidates, who finished second, received.

Palakkad

SHAFI PARAMBILIndian National Congress57559

SOBHA SURENDRANBharatiya Janata Party40076

Malampuzha

VS AchuthanandanCommunist Party of India (Marxist)73299

C. Krishnakumar Bharatiya Janata Party46157

Manjeshwar

P B Abdul RazakIndian Union Muslim League56870

K Surendran Bharatiya Janata Party56781

Kasaragod

N A Nellikkunnu Indian Union Muslim League64727

Ravisha Thantri KuntraBharatiya Janata Party56120

Kazhakkoottam

Kadamkampally SurendranCommunist Party of India (Marxist)50079

V Muraleedharan Bharatiya Janata Party42732

Vattiyoorkavu

K Muraleedharan Indian National Congress51322

Kummanam Rajasekharan Bharatiya Janata Party43700

Chathannoor

G S Jayalal Communist Party of India67606

B B Gopakumar Bharatiya Janata Party33199

Though BJP didn't do as well in West Bengal, it followed a similar trend in the state, though in a smaller scale. During the last Assembly elections in Bengal, the BJP didn't win a single seat and the party's vote share was 4.14 percent.

This time, the party has won three seats and its vote-share has increased to 10.2 percent.

Two of the constituencies, in which BJP won, their closest competitors were Congress candidates. Swadhin Kumar Sarkar won from Baishnabnagar by a margin of 4497 votes. Congress' Azizul Haque was trailing him. Dilip Kumar Ghosh won in Kharagpur Sadar. Congress' Gyan Singh Sohanpal was trailing by 6309 votes.

BJP's Manoj Tigga won In Madarihat, in Alipurduar district. He defeated TMC's Padam Lama by a whopping 22038 votes.

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