MP: BJP wins Malehra assembly by-poll

Bhopal, Nov 2: Dashing hopes of Bharatiya Jan Shakti President Uma Bharti, the BJP retained Malehra seat, with its candidate Kapoor Chand Ghuwara defeating his nearest BJS rival Rekha Yadav by about 3,000 votes in a multi-cornered contest in the assembly by-election.

In the first electoral contest between BJP and BJS having similar ideologies, the by-election, caused by Ms Bharti's resignation, was closely fought.

It is a major upset for Ms Bharti, who had won from Malehra on BJP ticket during December 2003 elections defeating her nearest Congress rival Jagdish Shukla by over 31,000 votes.

In this by-election, Mr Shukla was relegated to the third spot.

After her expulsion from the BJP, Ms Bharti had formed the BJS and resigned from Malehra seat on moral grounds. She fielded Ms Yadav, a relative of former legislator late Uma Yadav, as BJS candidate and became her election agent. It was a shocking defeat for the sadhvi, who had more than once threatened to dislodge the BJP Government if it did not work for the state's development.

On the other hand, BJP nominated political turncoat Kapoor Chand Ghuwara, who was formerly in the CPI and had ended at the third spot during previous assembly election. The choice of fielding Mr Ghuwara had been widely criticised within the BJP.

In the past eight assembly elections since 1977, including the by-election, the BJP had emerged victorious from the seat five times.

Other candidates in the fray were: Mr Surendra Singh Yadav (SP), Mr Sukhlal Joshi (CPI), Mahesh Chandra Kushwaha (Rashtriya Samanta Dal) and independent candidates Vinod Agrwal, Dashrath Ahirwar, Alok Kumar alias ''Pappu Bhaiya'', Kriparam, Gokul, Jagdish, Jairam Yadav, Dwarka, Naseem Khan, Nirmal Singh, Prabodh Kumar, Maneesh Kumar, Mahesh Kumar, Ramkali Yadav, Ashok Kumar Soni and Hariram Ahirwar.

UNI