Bangalore, Oct. 16: The Congress received a shot in the arm today when its candidate wrested the Bidar (reserved) Lok Sabha seat from the BJP after 13 years, pushing coalition partner Janata Dal (Secular) to third place.

The triumph set off celebrations at the state Congress office as well as Karnataka chief minister Dharam Singh?s official residence here.

Congress leaders have hailed Narasinghrao Suryavamshi?s byelection victory by 13, 470 votes over the BJP?s Basavaraj Arya as a vote of confidence in the Singh-led coalition government. Suryavamshi had lost five times in a row to Arya?s father Ramachandra Veerappa, whose death two months ago necessitated the bypoll.

The Congress candidate, who returns to the Lok Sabha after 13 years, polled 196,917 votes, his BJP rival 183,447, the Dal (Secular)?s Babu Honna Naik got 167, 128 votes with the Bahujan Samaj Party?s Baburao Gadge finishing fourth with 36, 013.

?Calculations in politics and life do not work. The mandate for the Congress in Bidar is a victory for the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and our policies. It also shows that reactionary forces and communal politics do not work in electioneering. The BJP should realise that its attempts to whip up passions by launching the tiranga yatra and playing on the sentiments of the people after Ramachandra Veerappa?s death do not translate into votes,? Singh said.