NEW DELHI, India, July13, Reuter: Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress (D) Party lost another byelection on Wednesday, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
Congress has now been unseated in five of the seven Parliamentary byelections originally held on June 16.
PTI said Kurshid Ahmed, backed by all’ the main opposition parties, crushed his Congress opponent by over 140,000 votes in a partial repoll at Faridkot in North India’s Haryana State.
The new vote was held on Tuesday after violence in which ‘one person was killed and hooligans disrupted voting last month.
The four losses on June 16 prompted Gandhi to fire two state Chief Ministers and carry out a major cabinet reshuffle in preparation for general elections due by the end of 1989.
The opposition drew inspiration from the June results, and the momentum of moves towards a Coalition to challenge Gandhi seemed likely to be spurred by yet another win.
A new poll was also held on Tuesday in parts of Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir State after
Allegations of vote rigging on June 16.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 22, 1988
