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BHOPAL/INDORE: In a major jolt to the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh ahead of assembly elections, Congress on Tuesday won nine of the 14 seats in civic bypolls held in 14 districts. BJP won only four, while an Independent bagged one. The byelections were held on August 3 for post of corporators. Counting for janpad polls was also held on Tuesday, which yielded the biggest surprise — BJP tasting defeat in its stronghold of Indore .

A Congress-supported candidate won in Ward 3 of Indore ZP. Several BJP netas, including Kailash Vijayavargiya, had campaigned for Ghanshyam Patidar, but he lost to Dinesh Thakur, who was backed by Rau’s Congress MLA Jitu Patwari.

In civic bypolls, Congress wrested two seats from BJP in Chhindwara and won one each in Bhopal , Burhanpur, Neemuch, Gwalior, Singrauli, Satna and Guna. Officials couldn’t say how many of these seven were held by BJP. The saffron party’s consolation, perhaps, was that it retained a seat in Mandsaur, the hotbed of last year’s farmer agitation, and one each in Damoh, Datia and Anuppur. The Independent won in Bhind.

