Bhopal, Oct 18 (UNI) Bharatiya Jana Shakti (BJS) Vice-President Chandraraj Singhvi today claimed that the byelections in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency and Malehra assembly constituency epitomised a struggle for nationalism and Hindutva ideology.

''In the battle of principles, the BJS is assured of victory.

Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have abandoned nationalism and ideology. At one point Vidisha was a BJP stronghold but now the voters are annoyed,'' he told reporters here.

Mr Singhvi is also his party's in-charge for the hustings.

''The BJS does not wish to encourage casteism and regionalism but it will surely benefit from the manner in whuch the BJP and Congress turned a Nelson's eye on Yadavs and other castes while selecting candidates,'' he claimed.

Accusing the BJP of setting a record in submissiveness, Mr Singhvi added that the backboneless party's national leadership had scattered.

''Their senior leaders' style of functioning has dealt a body blow to Hindutva's image,'' he alleged.

Dodging a poser on BJS Founder-President Uma Bharti's self-imposed deadline of toppling the state government by October end, her deputy said that the BJP expelled Ms Bharti by taking recourse to a conspiracy.

UNI AG-AC 1853