LANCASHIRE'S first Asian county councillor, Conservative Abdul Bhikha, was a paid-up Socialist until eight weeks before his shock victory, it was revealed.
Mr Bhikha, 54, of Balaclava Street, Blackburn, was "poached" by the Conservative Party and persuaded to stand after he turned down the chance to run as a Labour candidate.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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