Bhopal, October 24
Victory in the byelections in the tribal belt of Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh and Chitrakote in Chhattisgarh has given the Congress some reason to cheer after the humiliating show in the LS poll.
Kantilal Bhuria of the Congress won the Jhabua ST seat, defeating Bhanu Bhuria of the BJP by over 27,000 votes and Rajman Benzam won the bypoll from the Naxal-affected Chitrakote constituency, reserved ST seat, by 17,862 votes against Lachhuram Kashyap of the BJP.
Bhuria, former PCC chief and former union minister, sustained the lead right through the 25 rounds of counting. Bhanu Bhuria who headed the youth wing of the BJP fought gamely. Bhanu, however, said the Congress won the election with ample help from the administration. The Congress workers had done little to deserve any credit, especially after two successive defeats of the father and son duo in a span of six months.
The Jyotiraditya Scindia faction which has been at odds with Kantilal Bhuria wanted a previous MLA Xavier Meda to be fielded from Jhabua. Former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh and Chief Minister Kamal Nath, however, insisted on Kantilal who had just lost the Lok Sabha elections to GS Damor in May. Damor had also defeated Kantilal Bhuria’s son Vikrant in the Assembly elections in November last.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath termed the result in Jhabua as the victory of people’s confidence in the Congress and his government. “People have expressed faith in the government’s work and have given their seal of approval for it. It is a gift of Diwali to Congress by the voters of Jhabua,” he said. Kantilal Bhuria termed it as “a victory of CM Kamal Nath and his works and expressed his gratitude towards him”. Asked whether he would become minister in the Nath cabinet, he said, “It is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to make a person minister or not.”
At 115 seats the Congress just needs one member’s support from outside for majority. There are four independents, two BSP and one SP member backing Kamal Nath’s ministry. — PTI
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2pLbJcl
via Today’s News Headlines
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