Congress sweeps MP, Jammu bypolls

Bhopal/Jammu, Dec 15 (UNI) The Congress wrested the Khargone Lok Sabha and Sanver Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh from the BJP and 87-Poonch-Haveli Legislative Assembly seat in Jammu and Kashmir from the National Conference (NC) in the December 12 byelections, results of which were announced today.

Giving a severe drubbing to the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh ahead of next year's assembly election, Congress candidate Arun Yadav, son of MPCC chief Subhash Yadav, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Khargone, defeating his nearest BJP rival Krishna Murari Moghe by 1,18,638 votes in a 11-cornered contest. The Congress wrested the seat from the BJP.

Mr Yadav polled a total of 3,92,092 votes while Mr Moghe got 2,73,454 votes. Uma Bharti-led Bharatiya Janshakti candidate Sanjay Jhanwar came a distant third polling only 30,215 votes.

The byelection in Khargone was necessitated due to disqualification of Mr Moghe on office of profit issue.

In Indore district's Sanver assembly constituency, where 11 candidates were in the fray, Mr Tulsiram Silawat of Congress defeated his BJP rival Santosh Malaviya by 9292 votes.

The Congress wrested the seat from BJP.

Bharatiya Janshakti candidate Ranjit Sonkar fared a poor third, polling only 3671 votes. Other eight candidates were independents.

Sanver fell vacant following the death of state BJP minister Prakash Sonkar.

The Congress also wrested the 87-Poonch-Haveli Legislative Assembly seat in Jammu and Kashmir from National Conference (NC).

Congress candidate Mir Jahangir Hussain defeated his nearest rival and former party colleague, Mr Yashpal Sharma, an Independent candidate, by a margin of 4,398 votes. Mr Hussain secured 20,597 votes.

The NC, which was earlier representing the constituency in the state Legislative Assembly, had to satisfy as the second runner-up.

A total of eight candidates, including four Independents, were in the fray for the by-election to the assembly seat, which had fallen vacant after the death of NC MLA Ghulam Mohammad Jan.

With this win, the Congress now had 33 MLAs in the 87-member Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

UNI