BJP wins Assembly bypolls in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, June 5: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party today won the Khairagarh and Malkharoda (SC) seats in the assembly by-elections in Chhattisgarh, wresting the seats from Congress and BSP respectively.

BJP won the Khairagarh seat as its candidate Mr Komal Janghel defeated Mrs Padma Singh (Congress) by a margin of 15,987 votes in a multi-corner contest. BJP wrests the seat from Congress.

Similarly, in Malkharoda constituency, Mr Nirmal Sinha (BJP) defeated his nearest rival Mr Mohan Mani Jatwar (Congress) by a margin of 21,987 votes. BJP wrests the seat from BSP, whose candidate Lalsai Khute, who had won the December 2003 elections, was relegated to the third position.

Victory in both assembly by-elections came as a relief to the BJP as well as Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh as the party had lost Kota assembly by-poll and Lok Sabha by-election in Rajnandgaon in the recent past.

By-election in Khairagarh was necessitated by the resignation of Congress leader Devavrat Singh following his election to the Lok Sabha from Rajnandgaon constituency recently. Congress fielded his wife Padma Singh, who, however, lost the election.

Malkharoda seat, reserved for the scheduled castes, fell vacant after sitting BSP legislator Lalsai Khute's election was declared null and void by the High Court on an election petition.

Though the BSP fielded Mr Khute again, he lost the election and was relegated to the third position.

UNI