Bhopal:

In a blow to the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh, minister Ramniwas Rawat lost to the Congress’ Mukesh Malhotra by a margin of 7,364 votes in the Vijaypur assembly bypoll.

Rawat had won the seat on a Congress ticket in the 2023 assembly polls but then switched over to the BJP, which made him forest minister in the Mohan Yadav government.

Rawat had won from Vijaypur in Sheopur district as a Congress candidate in 1990, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2023.

The BJP lost Vijaypur even after distributing Rs 50 crore to lure voters, MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari alleged.

“Vijaypur’s victory is the victory of Congress workers, who faced all kinds of torture. They endured police cane-charge and lawsuits, still they stood firm,” Patwari said in a post on X.

The entire system, including the collector, SP and other officials, along with BJP-supported goons, dacoits and mafia were against the Congress, he alleged.

“The police and administration did the work of BJP workers. False cases were filed against Congress people, innocent people were sent to jail without any reason. More than 50 crore rupees were distributed to lure voters. Even after that, the lion-like workers have put this victory in the bag of Congress,” Patwari asserted.

This is the victory of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution and party workers, the Congress leader said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)