The Conservatives took 49.6% of the vote in North Evington, with 32.7 points in their favour, while Labor took just 22.5% of the vote. The party was relegated to third place in a previously Labor stronghold, with the Green party receiving 25.8% of the vote. Overall participation in North Evington, an Asian-majority textile-dominated area, was 45%. Religious leaders in the region have been working to mend relations after unrest erupted between Hindu and Muslim communities last month, and some felt that ongoing tensions spilled over into the election campaign. Labor Party candidate Rajul Tejura has faced accusations that she is a supporter of the Indian nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and a picture of her in front of a life-size Narendra Modi at an event she organized after his 2019 election victory ., was widely shared on social media. A spokesperson for Tejura said she was not a member or supporter of the BJP. The city’s Labor mayor, Peter Soulsby, commissioned an independent review into whether extremist Hindutva ideology, parts of which are promoted by the BJP in India, fueled last month’s unrest. Advocacy group Muslim Engagement and Development previously issued a statement saying it was concerned about Tejura’s candidacy “during a period of heightened tension in the city” and urged the local Labor Party to reconsider. Her candidacy was also backed by disgraced former Leicester East MP Keith Vaz, who appeared on several of her campaign leaflets. The winning Conservative candidate, Sanjay Modhwadia, is a local businessman who campaigned to support the city’s textile mills and has pushed for a Made in Leicester brand to boost the city’s global profile. “North Evington was one of the crown jewels in Leicester East with a Labor majority but that has been completely turned upside down,” said Abdul Osman, the town’s former mayor, who spent 20 years as a Labor councillor. before defecting to the Conservatives. “The fact that there was a big surge in the Green vote must have been a protest to the Labor Party again. The trend nationally is against the Conservative government, but you have to look at a local administration that has not delivered.” The by-election came after the resignation of Labor MP Vandeviji Pandya, who took office after a by-election in May last year, a result that also showed a sharp swing to the Conservatives. The Tories also picked up a seat in neighboring Humberstone and Hamilton in a by-election last year, with 44% of the vote, giving the party its first council seat in two years. A spokesman for Tejura’s campaign team said: “This result is a wake-up call for the Labor Party. They have been in power for a long time, not only in North Evington, but in the city itself, and it is clear that the council needs to do more and deliver for the people of Leicester if they are to continue with their support. “We are happy and proud of the campaign we are running and we are confident that we can bounce back and win seats in the May election.”
title: “Leicester Council By Election Sees Huge Tory Swing In Unrest Hit Area Leicester " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-24” author: “Stephen Waters”
The Conservatives took 49.6% of the vote in North Evington, with 32.7 points in their favour, while Labor took just 22.5% of the vote. The party was relegated to third place in a previously Labor stronghold, with the Green party receiving 25.8% of the vote. Overall participation in North Evington, an Asian-majority textile-dominated area, was 45%. Religious leaders in the region have been working to mend relations after unrest erupted between Hindu and Muslim communities last month, and some felt that ongoing tensions spilled over into the election campaign. Labor Party candidate Rajul Tejura has faced accusations that she is a supporter of the Indian nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and a picture of her in front of a life-size Narendra Modi at an event she organized after his 2019 election victory ., was widely shared on social media. A spokesperson for Tejura said she was not a member or supporter of the BJP. The city’s Labor mayor, Peter Soulsby, commissioned an independent review into whether extremist Hindutva ideology, parts of which are promoted by the BJP in India, fueled last month’s unrest. Advocacy group Muslim Engagement and Development previously issued a statement saying it was concerned about Tejura’s candidacy “during a period of heightened tension in the city” and urged the local Labor Party to reconsider. Her candidacy was also backed by disgraced former Leicester East MP Keith Vaz, who appeared on several of her campaign leaflets. The winning Conservative candidate, Sanjay Modhwadia, is a local businessman who campaigned to support the city’s textile mills and has pushed for a Made in Leicester brand to boost the city’s global profile. “North Evington was one of the crown jewels in Leicester East with a Labor majority but that has been completely turned upside down,” said Abdul Osman, the town’s former mayor, who spent 20 years as a Labor councillor. before defecting to the Conservatives. “The fact that there was a big surge in the Green vote must have been a protest to the Labor Party again. The trend nationally is against the Conservative government, but you have to look at a local administration that has not delivered.” The by-election came after the resignation of Labour’s Vandeviji Pandya, who took office after a by-election in May last year, a result that also showed a sharp swing to the Conservatives. The Tories also picked up a seat in neighboring Humberstone and Hamilton in a by-election last year, with 44% of the vote, giving the party its first council seat in two years. A spokesman for Tejura’s campaign team said: “This result is a wake-up call for the Labor Party. They have been in power for a long time, not only in North Evington, but in the city itself, and it is clear that the council needs to do more and deliver for the people of Leicester if they are to continue with their support. “We are happy and proud of the campaign we are running and we are confident that we can bounce back and win seats in the May election.”
