By IANS
Raipur : Chhattisgarh's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday won the assembly by-elections from Khairagarh and Malkharoda, wresting the seats from the Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) respectively.
BJP's Komal Janghel defeated Congress nominee Padma Singh by about 16,000 votes in Khairagarh although it was always viewed as a Congress citadel.
In Malkharoda, Nirmal Sinha won by 22,000 vites, leaving BSP's Lalsai Khunte who had won it in 2003 high and dry.
The election in Malkharoda was necessitated after the court disqualified Khunte because he hid information regarding his conviction in a criminal case when he filed nomination papers in 2003. The party fielded Khunte again after his acquittal.
In Khairagarh, the election followed Congress legislator Devrat Singh's election to the Lok Sabha from Rajnandgaon in April this year. The elections were held Saturday.