The result of the Hissar Lok Sabha by-poll is out. People have pronounced their verdict. Congress candidate Jai Prakash finished a distant third. Jaiprakash, who had contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls too as a Congress candidate and lost had then garnered 2,04,539 votes. But this time, his performance is well below that. Jaiprakash secured only 1,49,785 votes. It was the HJC-BJP combine nominee, Kuldeep Bishnoi, who won the seat in a closely-fought battle in which Team Anna sought a crushing defeat for the Congress. Bishnoi secured 3,55,941 votes followed by Ajay Chautala of INLD with 3,49,618 votes.

In Maharashtra, the ruling Congress-NCP had to bite dust in Khadakwasla assembly by-poll. Unlike Hissar, Team Anna had not campaigned against the Congress candidate in this constituency which lies in the home state of Anna Hazare. Yet, Harshada Wanjale, the widow of Ramesh Wanjale whose death had necessitated the by-poll, could not cash on the 'sympathy factor'. BJP-Shiv Sena combine candidate Bhimrao Tapkir defeated NCP's Wanjale by 3,625 votes.

It is important to note that Khadakwasla falls in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, represented by NCP chief Sharad Pawar's daughter, Supriya Sule.

In the by-poll in Daraunda, Bihar, too, Congress managed just about five percent votes. Here, the BJP-JD(U) retained the seat by defeating the RJD-LJP combine. JD(U) candidate Kavita Singh defeated her nearest RJD candidate Parmeshwar Singh by 20,092 votes. The Daraunda assembly seat had fallen vacant following the death of the sitting JD(U) MLA Jagmato Devi who happened to be Kavita Singh's mother-in-law.

Further down south, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) candidate Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy won the bypoll from Banswada assembly constituency in Nizamabad district of Andhra Pradesh. Reddy defeated ruling Congress' Srinivas Goud by a margin of 49,889 votes. Of the 1,22,872 votes polled, Pocharam secured 83,245, while Goud got 33,356.

Is there a message in the results of these four constituencies in the four states of North, South, East and West? Does it indicate that the credibility of the Congress party has touched an all time low in the aftermath of various scams and the anti-corruption movement led by the Gandhian Anna Hazare that followed these scams? Did Indians want to teach a lesson to the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government that came across as the "protector of scamsters"? Did Anna Hazare and his team's open anti-Congress campaign in Hissar help the non-Congress candidates in Hissar and other constituencies that went to polls?

Kuldeep Bishnoi, the victor of Hissar, claims that Team Anna's call to vote against the Congress party had no role to play in Congress's defeat. Bishnoi says that his father and ex-chief minister of Haryana, Bhajan Lal had done a lot of work in Hissar and people voted for the good work and the faith in HJP-BJP combine as a team.

The Congress downplayed its defeat in Hissar. B K Hariprasad, the party general secretary in-charge of Haryana, said that the party had not won the seat even in the last elections and dismissed the contention that the result betrayed the effect of Team Anna's call to people not to vote for its candidate over the Lokpal issue. Union finance minister and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee refused to comment on the by-poll verdict by saying, "a loss in any election is a sad thing. We shall have to analyse why we lost the bypolls and what are the reasons."

BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said the result clearly showed that the people have voted against the Congress policies in tackling corruption."

The jury is still out on whether Anna Hazare and his team's anti-Congress campaign helped non-Congress candidates. But with several cabinet ministers of the UPA govt cooling their heels in jail, charges against those who are out in the open, the UPA's govt approach in dealing with the nation-wide movement against corruption led by Anna Hazare, and the results of the four bypolls that were out today clearly indicate that the stock of the Congress party is at an all time low in nation's history.

The leading Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, who held an intensive campaign against Congress in the constituency, said, "it is a referendum on Jan Lokpal Bill. Congress should take a lesson and now pass Jan Lokpal Bill."

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Bishnoi wins Hisar bypolls; Cong pushed to third place

HJC-BJP combine nominee Kuldeep Bishnoi today won the prestigious Hisar Lok Sabha by-election in Haryana in a closely-fought battle in which Team Anna sought a crushing defeat for the Congress that was pushed to a far third position.

Bishnoi (42), son of former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal whose death caused the bypoll, retained the seat for the party defeating his nearest rival INLD's Ajay Singh Chautala (50), son of former chief minister Om Parkash Chautala, by a margin of 6,323 votes, out of the over nine lakh votes polled.

Ruling Congress nominee and three-time MP from Hisar Jai Prakash (58), a former union minister, finished third. He had won the seat last in 2004 as Congress nominee.

Bishnoi, whose Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) tied up with BJP, secured 3,55,941 votes followed by Chautala with 3,49,618 votes and way behind was Jai Parkash, who polled 1,49,785 votes. It was essentially a triangular contest in a field with 40 candidates and a total electorate of 13.32 lakh.

With the jury still out on whether Anna Hazare and his team's anti-Congress campaign helped him, Bishnoi claimed it had no impact on his performance while the Congress said Hisar was always a bastion of some groups in the state and it put up a good fight.

Leading Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, who hails from Hisar and held an intensive campaign against Congress in the constituency, "it is a referendum on Jan Lokpal Bill. Congress should take a lesson and now pass Jan Lokpal Bill."

He said Team Anna had nothing to do with the victory of Bishnoi.

While Hazare sought defeat for Congress through a video appeal, Kejriwal was helped in the campaign by other key members of Team Anna Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia.

Bishnoi's father Bhajan Lal had won the Hissar Lok Sabha seat in the 2009 elections with a margin of 6,983 votes over his nearest rival Sampat Singh of the INLD, who later joined Congress shortly before 2009 assembly elections.

Jai Prakash had finished third in 2009 lok sabha elections when he secured 2,04,539 votes as compared with 1,49,785 votes secured now.

Leader of opposition in lok sabha Sushma Swaraj thanked people of Haryana, particularly the electorate of Hisar, for supporting the BJP-HJC alliance and electing Bishnoi. "The BJP-HJC alliance will continue in future also," she said.

Echoing her words, Bishnoi said, "people have voted for the alliance and alliance will go a long way."

BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said the result clearly showed that tyhe people have voted against the Congress policies in tackling corruption. "This is a victory for democracy," he said.

Union finance minister and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee said, "a loss in any election is a sad thing. We shall have to analyse why we lost the bypolls and what are the reasons."

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said "This is voters verdict.

Team Anna all along made the voters aware of the party position concerning the Lokpal bill. It claims no credit for anything, for that was not the objective.

"It only did what was a logical movement in order that such MPs reach parliament whose party presidents commit to support JLPB on the floor of the house. All others had given (in Hisar) except the Congress. And it was for voters to decide," Bedi said.

Cong downplays defeat, says sympathy factor worked for Bishnoi

Congress today downplayed its defeat in Hisar Lok Sabha bypoll saying it had not won the seat even during the last elections and dismissed the contention that the result betrayed the effect of Team Anna's call to people not to vote for its candidate over the Lokpal issue.

Party General Secretary in-charge for Haryana B K Hariprasad said the defeat in the constituency was "not unexpected" given the fact that in the last parliamentary elections too, Congress had secured third position.

HJC-BJP combine nominee Kuldeep Bishnoi, who is the son of late former state Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, won the by-election defeating his nearest rival Ajay Chautala of while the ruling Congress candidate Jai Parkash stood third.

Hariprasad said that the "sympathy factor" following the demise of Bhajan Lal, who represented the constituency and had been the Chief Minister thrice, played a role so also the social equations.

He also recalled that the party had lost from Hisar even in 2009 Lok Sabha elections in which the Congress had won all other parliamentary seats in Haryana.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, who hails from Hisar had campaigned in the constituency after the civil soceity members led by Anna Hazare decided to oppose Congress candidate there on the issue of Lokpal.

Hariprasad, however, dismissed suggestions that there was any "Kejriwal effect" in the Constituency.

The polling was necessitated in Hisar due to the death of sitting MP Bhajan Lal of Haryana Janhit Congress in June.

There were in all 40 candidates, mostly independents, in the fray.

The bypoll held on October 13 had witnessed a turnout of nearly 69 per cent with the Anna factor raising the stakes for the Congress in a triangular fight.

Setback to NCP; BJP wins Khadakwasla assembly bypoll in Maha

In a setback for the ruling Congress-NCP combine, especially the deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, BJP's Bhimrao Tapkir today won the Khadakwasla assembly bypoll in Pune district, defeating NCP's Harshada Wanjale.

Tapkir won by 3,625 votes. Harshada is the widow of MNS legislator Ramesh Wanjale, whose death had necessitated the bypoll.

With this win, BJP's strength in the 288-member assembly rises to 47. MNS, which now has 12 MLAs, had not put up any candidate, as a "tribute to Ramesh Wanjale's memory".

Harshada was Congress zilla parishad member for a long time, but she joined NCP just before the bypoll, as NCP had refused to cede the seat in its 'quota' to Congress.

Ajit Pawar was instrumental in bringing her to NCP fold.

The election became prestigious for Ajit Pawar, as he holds sway over local civic bodies in the district. Also, Khadakwasla falls in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, represented by NCP chief Sharad Pawar's daughter, Supriya Sule.

Reacting to BJP's victory, ally Shiv Sena's spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut said, "It is not only a defeat of Congress-NCP, but also a defeat of Ajit Pawar."

RPI leader Ramdas Athawale said the victory was result of his party's recent alliance with Shiv Sena-BJP.

During the campaign, BJP had focused on the Ajit Pawar's "arrogant" style of functioning.

Reacting to the verdict, Supriya Sule said it called for an "introspection" for NCP, and she, as the local MP, took the responsibility for the defeat.

Bypoll a 'referendum' on Lokpal, lesson for Cong: Team Anna

With Congress biting the dust in Hisar bypolls, Team Anna today said the ruling party should take a lesson from the defeat and ensure passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill as the election was a "referendum" on it.

"It is a referendum on Jan Lokpal Bill. Congress should take a lesson and now pass Jan Lokpal Bill," a Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal told PTI.

Haryana Janhit Congress chief Kuldeep Bishnoi, who was supported by BJP, won the Hisar bypolls defeating INLD's Ajay Chautala. Congress' Jai Prakash was in the third position.

"This is voters' verdict. Team Anna all along made the voters aware of the party position concerning the Lokpal bill.

It claims no credit for anything, for that was not the objective.

"It only did what was a logical movement in order that such MPs reach parliament whose party presidents commit to support JLPB on the floor of the house. All others had given (in Hisar) except the Congress. And it was for voters to decide," another Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said.

Team Anna had campaigned against Congress in Hisar after the party refused to give an undertaking that it will support Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament.

The decision to oppose Congress in the bypolls did not go down well with some sections as they argued that the Team had earlier set Winter Session of Parliament as a deadline for the passage of the bill.

Reflecting a rift within Team Anna Hazare, Justice Santosh Hegde has disapproved of the anti-Congress campaign by Kejriwal during Hisar bypolls, saying it was not the right thing to do and "we jumped the gun".

TRS wins Banswada assembly bypoll

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) candidate Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy won the bypoll from Banswada assembly constituency in Nizamabad district of Andhra Pradesh today.

Reddy defeated ruling Congress' Srinivas Goud by a margin of 49,889 votes.

The by-election was necessitated following the resignation of Pocharam in March this year. He had quit his Assembly membership as well as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on the statehood issue and joined the TRS.

The TDP and the BJP did not field candidates in the by-election held on October 13. Of the 1,22,872 votes polled, Pocharam secured 83,245, while Goud got 33,356.

With Pocharam's victory, the TRS' strength in the 294-member AP Assembly rose to 12. However, 11 TRS MLAs have recently submitted their resignations to the Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar, demanding creation of Telangana state. The TRS has not yet announced whether Pocharam too would be asked to follow their suit.

Pocharam termed his win as the victory of people of Telangana.

JD(U) retains Daraunda assembly seat in bypoll

Dealing a blow to opposition RJD-LJP combine and the Congress once again, the ruling JD(U) today retained the Daraunda assembly constituency seat.

JD(U) candidate Kavita Singh defeated her nearest RJD candidate Parmeshwar Singh by 20,092 votes.

Singh, the daughter in-law of the former MLA Jagmato Devi, polled 51,754 votes as against 31,662 votes secured by the RJD candidate who was supported by the party's strongmen Md Shahabuddin and Prabhunath Singh, besides the LJP.

The Congress candidate Kalika Sharan Singh and the CPI(M-L) nominee Jainath Yadav stood a distant third and fourth polling 4238 and 3754 votes respectively.

Siwan's district magistrate-cum-returning officer Lokesh Kumar Singh announced the result after counting of votes held amid tight security arrangements.

There were as many as nine candidates, including three women, in the bypoll for Daraunda assembly seat that was held on October 13 in which 44 per cent electorate had exercised their franchisee.

The Daraunda assembly seat had fallen vacant consequent to the death of the sitting JD(U) MLA Jagmato Devi in June and the party had given ticket to her newly-wed daughter in-law to contest the bypoll.

The campaigning in Daraunda assembly bypoll was a high pitched affair with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and other top leaders campaigning for the JD(U) candidate, while the RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, the LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan and former MP Prabhnath Singh had dug their heels in the constituency to solicit support in favour of the RJD nominee.

Kumar thanked the people of the constituency for reposing faith in the party.

With this win the Bihar Assembly's effective strength of 242 constitutes of JD(U)'s 117 MLAs, while its ally BJP 91, followed by RJD 22, LJP 1, INC 4 and 7 others.