Congress confident of winning Assembly, LS by-polls in MP

After the resounding success of the Grand Alliance in Bihar, Congress is confident of winning Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha and Dewas assembly by-polls scheduled to be held on November 21 in Madhya Pradesh.
"The Congress will fight the two by-polls with full unity and all senior leaders of the party at the national and state level will campaign for our candidates in the two seats to teach BJP a lesson and give the fascist forces a befitting reply," Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President, Arun Yadav told PTI.
"The people of Bihar had specifically given a message that those who tried to divide the nation will be given a befitting reply. The countdown for the BJP at the national and state level has begun," he said.

Congress improved its tally in Bihar by clinching 27 seats from previous 4 in the 243 member house. The Grand Alliance comprising JD(U), RJD and Congress won 178 seats.
"The country will not get mislead by their statements and now even their own senior party leaders have started questioning them on the issue", Yadav said referring to the recent statement issued by BJP veterans including L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and two others on the party's debacle in Bihar.
While Congress has fielded former Union Minister Kantilal Bhuria from Ratlam-Jhabua seat, BJP has given the ticket to sitting MLA Nirmala Bhuria.

Nirmala is the daughter of late Dileep Singh Bhuria who won the last Lok Sabha polls and whose death necessitated the by-poll. The BJP in order to cash in on the sympathy factor fielded the late leader's daughter.

In Dewas, Congress has fielded Jaiprakash Shastri, who is a product of student politics and will be contesting his maiden assembly poll against Gayatri Devi Puar, wife of late Tukoji Rao Puar.
The by-poll in Dewas was necessitated following Puar's demise, with BJP fielding his wife for the seat.
Puar is the erstwhile ruler of Dewas.