SP demands release of MLA in MP

Bhopal, Nov 6 (UNI) The Samajwadi Party has demanded release of Kishore Samrite who successfully contested the October 30 assembly by-election in the Lanji constituency of Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district on an SP ticket while in jail.

The party's Secretary Sunilam and SP state President Narayan Tripathi told reporters here today that they had met Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in this regard and urged him to ensure withdrawal of fabricated cases against Samrite, besides making sure that the administration did not object to the MLA's bail plea.

About Samrite's alleged links with the naxals, legislator Sunilam said, ''Such talk is an insult to the public mandate and symbolises ideological vacuum. Samrite adopted the agitation path to ensure that the poor got their rights in Balaghat district. Hence voters were enthusiastic about him.'' The leader duo pointed out that Samrite's release was imperative for enabling him to take oath and attend the Assembly's winter session getting underway on November 26. Responding to a query, they said the police cases against Samrite were related to a political agitation.

The bypoll in the constituency was necessitated by the death of BJP MLA Dilip Bhatere. Samrite's nearest rival was Bhatere's wife and saffron party candidate Dhareshwari Bhatere. Congress nominee Bhagwat Bhau Nagpure came a distant third.

UNI