The Bhartiya Janata Party on Friday hailed election of its Kanubhai Dabhi in the Kathlal assembly by-election in Gujarat breaking into the Congress bastion, saying it demonstrates that the Congress can only harass people but can't win elections by misusing CBI.

"The verdict lays bare the Congress attempts to misuse CBI in the Sohrabbudin case for its own political gains and reaffirms BJP's developmental agenda and pro-people policies," party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said in a statement.

She claimed the result clearly indicates that there is a wave in favour of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his good governance agenda across Gujarat. Kathlal where the victory margin of Congress used to be around 50,000 votes except in last election, witnessed a major change this time as it lost to BJP by 21,000 votes, she said.

Despite the alliance of Congress and CBI working extensively to malign BJP image in the by-poll, the people here preferred to vote for the BJP and gave a tight slap on the face of Congress leaders and CBI, she said.

"Congress with its representative central ministers like Bharat Singh Solanki and Dinsha Patel tried everything in their might to retain what is their sole bastion. But the people have taught them a bitter lesson," she added.