Bernie Sanders Wins Democratic Presidential Primary In California: Report

Bernie Sanders held Super Tuesday’s biggest prize with a victory in California with Joe Biden having the upper hand in Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee North Carolina and Virginia, news agency AP reported. California’s win gives a big boost to Sander’s campaign for the 2020 White House bid as the race to Democratic party’s nomination gathers momentum over the next few months. The clash between Biden and Sanders, could determine whether the Democratic battle will stretch all the way to the July convention or be decided much sooner. This year, the Super Tuesday has gained more prominence because California, which traditionally held its primary in June, had the nomination votes on March 3 itself. As California is the most populated state in the US, it adds more heft to the Super Tuesday because 30 percent of delegates awarded on this day will be coming from this state only.

Super Tuesday becomes important for the fact that almost 34 percent of the total delegates are awarded on this very day.

Earlier, Bernie Sanders had secured a convincing victory in the crucial Nevada caucus.

Bernie Sanders and Buttigieg were separated by a razor-thin margin in the New Hampshire’s crucial Democratic primary on Tuesday.

Sanders, who is being considered Trump’s top rival for the presidential post and the flag-bearer for the party’s progressive wing, got 26 per cent of votes while Buttigieg narrowly trailed on 24.3 per cent and fellow Midwesterner Klobuchar on 19.9 per cent.

Bernie Sanders countered with wins in his home state of Vermont and in Colorado, as the race began to shift west, where some polls were starting to close. Biden took Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee and the battleground states of North Carolina and Virginia, a strong start as 14 states went to the polls across the nation. Still, voting was ongoing in the two top prizes, Texas and California meaning the night’s biggest winner remained unclear.

In a defiant speech, Sanders tore into Trump, calling him "the most dangerous president in the history of this country." But he also tore into Biden for having voted in favor of the invasion of Iraq and painting him as tarnished by billionaire contributors. "We're taking on the political establishment," he said. "You cannot beat Trump with the same-old, same-old kind of politics." But for Biden, 77, the indications were that he was on for a big night in his bid to bring American politics back to the center after four years of Trump's rightwing populism.

(With Agency Inputs)