BJS will not fight any bypoll in MP

Bhopal, Mar 18 (UNI) Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS) Madhya Pradesh unit President Raghunandan Sharma today announced that the party would not contest any byelection in this state but would field nominees with full preparation for the 2008 Assembly poll and 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

''We will also contest 100 seats in the Uttar Pradesh election,'' he told journalists here.

Defending the decision not to field candidates for recent bypolls in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Sharma claimed that the BJS secured an average 20 per cent vote share in three earlier byelections -- Malehra, Pandhana Assembly constituencies and Vidisha Lok Sabha seat.

''The party believes that the share would increase to about 27-28 per cent over the next couple of years so that the BJS takes the reins as a third force. In this state, the party that obtains 37-38 per cent of the vote share usually comes to power while the party that corners 34-35 per cent occupies the opposition benches,'' he said.

Founder-President Uma Bharti would conduct divisiona-level meetings on April 30 -- BJS founding day -- and also undertake assembly constituency-wise tours.

Responding to a question on BJP MP Aditya Nath quitting to form a new outfit, Mr Sharma said, ''Ms Bharti had met him at Delhi and invited him to join the BJS. Now that he has formed a party, discussions will take place on a strategy to vanquish the BJP.'' UNI