After Bihar, Cong confident of doing well in MP by-polls

Indore, Nov 10: Following the results of Bihar Assembly polls where the Congress substantially improved its tally, the party today expressed confidence of putting up a good show in the November 21 by-polls in Ratlam Lok Sabha seat and Dewas assembly segment.

"The BJP has been wiped out of Bihar and the results have boosted party cadre's morale in Madhya Pradesh. We are going to do well in Ratlam besides Dewas," Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Narendra Saluja told PTI.

Alliance route has struck gold for a beleaguered Congress in Bihar polls, where the party entered into alliance with RJD and JD(U). Congress has won 27 out of the 41 seats it contested in Bihar.

This is against just four seats it secured in the 2010 polls in which it had contested all the 243 seats. In the last assembly polls in Bihar, 216 party candidates had forfeited their deposits. Meanwhile, BJP's National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said that the Assembly elections result will not have any impact on these by-elections.

"In the state, BJP has a strong leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh and good base. People have confidence in it and his leadership. And hence the Bihar poll outcome will not have any impact on these by-polls," the former MP Minister said.

The BJP-led grouping was trounced by the Grand Alliance in Bihar comprising JD(U), RJD and Congress.

PTI