Congress candidate Saurabh Narayan Singh offers sweets to JMM’s Teklal Mahto after both were declared winners. Picture by Vishvendu Jaipuriar

Hazaribagh, Dec. 23: It was two for sorrow and one for joy for political stalwart Yashwant Sinha who left no stone unturned to ensure the BJP’s victory in Hazaribagh, Barkagaon and Barhi seats.

Sinha and his party faced the most humiliating defeat in Hazaribagh, where Congress’s new poster boy Saurabh Narayan Singh trounced BJP heavyweight Deo Dayal Kushwaha to retain the seat. Singh polled 66,514 votes against Kushwaha’s 57,227, acquiring a victory margin of over 9,000 votes.

In Barkagaon, three-time MLA Loknath Mahto lost to Congress’s Yogendra Sao, albeit by a narrow margin of 1,364. While Hazaribagh and Barkagaon were unkind cuts, Barhi was a balm for Sinha’s bruises. The former external affairs minister’s modest campaign strategy — Sinha toured the constituency on foot and in rickshaw — worked in favour of Uma Shankar Akela who defeated three-time Congress MLA Manoj Yadav by over 8,000 votes.

Sinha, who had defeated Singh in the April parliamentary elections, had hoped to work up his charm in favour of party nominee Kushwaha this time. But 33-year-old Singh, an MBA from Australia, who promised to develop Hazaribagh into an education hub, tasted success despite Sinha throwing his entire weight behind the BJP veteran.

Close aides said Singh had remained ahead of Kushwaha from the very first round of counting. “Mocking claims that the BJP will win in Hazaribagh, Saurabh bagged traditional votes of that party. He won support of all castes and communities,” a Congress sympathiser said, adding that the Congress candidate was “like a breath of fresh air” in the musty political circuit of state.

A jubilant Singh credited his own work for the rich dividend. He promised to utilise his next five years as MLA for overall development of Hazaribagh. “I will focus on the ambitious Koderma-Hazaribagh-Ranchi rail link and ensure a medical college in the town, besides moving ahead with the Konar Dam drinking water project. People have voted for a stable government in Jharkhand and the Congress will definitely fulfil their dreams,” he said.

He said he would need the co-operation of the people for his second tenure. “Aur phir, agli bar MP chunav bhi toh ladhna hai,” he said with a grin.

Some young BJP supporters blamed the party’s choice of a septuagenarian for the humiliating defeat in Hazaribagh. “Hamne bola tha party ko candidate badalne ke liye, par kisi ne hamari baat par dhyan nahin diya (We had urged the party to change the candidate, but no one cared),” said a BJP Yuva Morcha leader.

As a consolation for all his efforts, Sinha managed to help wrest Barhi from the Congress. Akela, who left Samajwadi Party on Sinha’s instigation, served as a face-saver for the veteran leader.