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Devendra Pratap
– Photo: Amar Ujala
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BJP’s Devendra Pratap Singh has won for the fourth time along with hat-trick in MLC elections from Gorakhpur-Faizabad block graduate constituency. Not only this, he has also created a new record by winning this election with first preference votes. In the Gorakhpur-Faizabad MLC elections being held since 1968, no candidate could win by first preference. Devendra Pratap defeated his nearest rival Karuna Kant Maurya of Samajwadi Party by 17,455 votes.
Out of total 1 lakh one thousand 158 valid votes, Devendra got 51,699 and SP candidate got 34,244 votes. On the second day of counting of votes, victory and defeat could be decided at 6 am on Friday, after which celebrations started among supporters and BJP workers. Sweets were distributed along with bursting of crackers at various places.
Prior to this, Devendra Pratap had first defeated Srinivas Shukla of Sharma faction in 1998 on SP ticket. Then there was BJP government in the state. After this, in 2010, he defeated the independent candidate Dr. Sanjayan Tripathi on SP ticket. At that time there was BSP government in the state and then in 2017, Devendra defeated Dr. Sanjayan Tripathi for the second time, who was contesting from Sharma faction on BJP ticket. Then the government was of SP. That is, no matter whose government was in the state, the glory of Devendra remained.
