Congress gains comfortable lead in Kota by-poll

Bilaspur, Dec 7 (UNI) Congress' Renu Jogi, wife of former chief minister Ajit Jogi, was leading over her nearest BJP rival by a margin of more than 17,500 votes, after the tenth round of counting for the Kota assembly by-election in Chhattisgarh.

The counting was on here amid tight security.

Ms Jogi, who is contesting her maiden election, was an assistant professor in Opathalmology in Jawaharlal Nehru Medical college here.

She quit her job to look after her husband Ajit Jogi, who had sustained severe spinal cord injuries in a road accident two and a half years ago.

Her nearest BJP rival Bhupendra Singh Thakur had unsuccessfully contested the last two assembly elections from the same constituency, where he had lost to Congress veteran Rajendra Prasad Shukla, a former Speaker of Madhya Pradesh Assembly and later in Chhattisgarh.

The Congress has never lost an election in this constituency since 1952. The bypoll was was necessitated following the death of Mr Rajendra Prasad Shukla.

UNI JJ SP YA BS1159