Tomar defends Gautam's candidature in Shivpuri

Shivpuri, MP, May 18 (UNI) Defending the nomination of former Congress MLA Ganesh Gautam as the BJP candidate for the June 2 assembly bypoll in this constituency, the party's state unit President Narendra Singh Tomar today pointed out that the collective decision was made by the BJP election committee.

''This byelection marks the beginning of the BJP's Mission 2008 campaign for next year's assembly poll. The election will determine Gwalior division's political direction and will lead to fresh equations in the area,'' he told mediapersons here last night.

Trashing reports that BJP MP Yashodhara Raje Scindia was dissatisfied over the choice, Mr Tomar added that dissatisfaction was after all ''a human tendency'' and therefore not unnatural.

While addressing Congress workers here yesterday, Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia said, ''our party has to win this bypoll at all costs as it will determine the direction of this state's politics.

Congress workers will have to unitedly enter the arena.'' Mr Gautam contested the previous hustings on a Congress ticket and was vanquished by Ms Scindia by 25,000 votes. The bypoll was necessitated by Ms Scindia's resignation after she emerged victorious in the Gwalior Lok Sabha constituency byelection.

UNI