MP bypoll: Mixed bag for BJP, Cong

Bhopal, Mar 11 (UNI) It was a mixed bag of bypoll fortunes for Madhya Pradesh's ruling BJP and main opposition Congress today as the saffron party wrested Gwalior Lok Sabha seat from the Congress that in turn wrested Sidhi (ST) Lok Sabha seat -- by a wafer-thin margin -- from the BJP, which retained Udaypura Assembly seat.

In Gwalior, state Tourism and Sports Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia vanquished Mr Ashok Singh by 35,602 votes. At Sidhi, Mr Manik Singh defeated Mr Kunwar Singh by a mere 1,586 votes. In Udaypura, Ms Shashi Prabha Singh routed Mr Sahib Singh Patel (Cong) by 19,069 votes.

Political observers opine that by bagging Sidhi, the Congress busted the ''BJP myth'' about the Congress having completely lost ground in the electorate. After the saffron party surged to power in the December 2003 Assembly hustings, nine byelections took place and the score was BJP -- seven, Congress -- two.

Congress' Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia's prestige was at stake this time round in Gwalior where his paternal aunt was contesting under the BJP banner. For the first time in the state's political history, a Scindia canvassed against another Scindia. The observers feel that by making Mr Jyotiraditya drum up support for the Congress, the party determined the strategy vis-a-vis the state' future leadership.

The credit for the Congress victory at Sidhi goes to Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh's MLA son Ajay.

In Udaypura, BJP MP Rampal Singh played a key role in ensuring his wife's win. He represented the seat no less than four times since 1990.

UNI