Uma drums up support for BJP in MP's RS polls

Bhopal, Mar 16 (UNI) Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS) Founder-President and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti has appealed to legislators to support BJP candidate Raghunandan Sharma in the state's March 28 elections for three Rajya Sabha seats.

''Ms Bharti endeavoured to contact some MLAs including those of the BJP. She described Mr Sharma as a decent and gentle personality,'' BJS state spokesman Narendra Birthare said in a release issued here today.

BJP Vice-President and its Mahila Morcha state incharge Maya Singh, BJP Secretary Prabhat Jha and Mr Sharma yesterday submitted their nomination papers for the biennial elections to fill up three seats falling vacant next month.

With this, there are four candidates for three seats, the fourth being Congress-supported independent Vivek Tankha, a former Advocate-General.

The BJP -- having a strength of 166 in the 231-member Assembly, including one nominated -- is facing a shortage of eight votes to ensure the third nominee's victory.

With three vacancies at present in the Assembly, the Congress has a strength of 41, Samajwadi Party eight, Gondwana Ganatantra Party three, Rashtriya Samanta Dal two, Bahujan Samaj Party two, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Janata Dal (United) one each and independents two.

UNI Team-AC VD RAI2010