Bhopal: The ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress retained their seats in byelections to two Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh.

While the BJP won the Bhandavgarh Assembly seat, where bypoll was held last Sunday, by defeating nearest rival of Congress by a margin of 25,476 votes, the Congress retained its Ater Assembly seat with a narrow margin of 857 votes over its nearest BJP rival.

Significantly, sons of sitting MLAs in both the constituencies won the byelections from their respective seats.

While bypolls to Bandhavgarh necessitated following election of sitting BJP MLA Gyan Singh to Lok Sabha, bypolls to Ater was held due to death of sitting Congress legislator Satyadev Katare.

State BJP president Nand Kumar Singh Chouhan attributed party’s defeat in Ater Assembly seat to sympathy wave witnessed during polls in favour of winning Congress candidate Hemant Katare following death of his father Satyadev Katare.

He, however, the victory margin of Congress has reduced to 857 votes this time against over 11,000 votes in the last polls to the seat.

“We could turn it a touch and go situation this time,” he added.

MP Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedy however described the party’s victory in Ater seat as “very significant” considering that the constituency borders Uttar Pradesh where BJP won Assembly elections with big majority recently.

“The win in Ater has boosted morale of Congress men in MP ahead of 2018 assembly elections in the state,” he added.