BJP sweeps 4 out of 5 assembly bypolls

New Delhi, Feb 17 (PTI) BJP today made a clean sweepof all the four assembly seats where bypolls were held inparty-ruled Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh andJharkhand while Trinamool Congress, with tacit support of thesaffron party, emerged triumphant in one seat in Manipur.

In Jharkhand, Chief Minister Arjun Munda (BJP) defeatedCongress and Babulal Marandi''s Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (P)alliance candidate Dasrath Gagrai.

BJP wrested Kukshi seat in Madhya Pradesh from Congressfor the first time after 21 years with its nominee Mukam SinghKirade defeating rival Nisha Singhar by over 16,000 votes.

The party retained Gujarat''s Khadia seat, its bastion forthe last 25 years, when its candidate Bhushan Bhatt emergedvictorious defeating Congress'' Jagat Shukla.

In Chhattisgarh, ruling BJP''s candidate Kumari Bai Sahuwon Sanjari Balod seat beating her nearest rival Mohan Patelof Congress by nearly 9,500 votes.

The electoral battle in Manipur''s Konthoujam constituencysaw Trinamool Congress candidate K Sarat prevailing overCongress candidate S Ranjan by 655 votes. The TC candidate hadthe tacit support of BJP and Manipur People''s Party, aregional outfit.

Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is a constituentof Congress-led UPA government at the Centre and is likely tohave an alliance with Congress in coming assembly polls inWest Bengal.

Congress sought to downplay its defeat saying localfactors decide results in such elections while BJP claimed itwas a "victory of its fight against corruption".

BJP is ruling in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand andChhattisgarh while in Manipur there is a Congress-ledcoalition government.