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MP election: Congress fields 69 sitting MLAs in 1st list of 144 candidates
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath has been named from his home constituency of Chhindwara while actor Vikram Mastal, who played the role of Lord Hanuman in a TV serial, has been fielded against chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from the Budhni constituency
The Congress on Sunday released its first list of 144 candidates for the November 17 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections in which state party president Kamal Nath was named from his home constituency of Chhindwara and actor Vikram Mastal, who played the role of Lord Hanuman in a TV serial, was fielded against chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from the Budhni constituency.
In the first list, the party has named 69 sitting MLAs out of 96 and dropped three MLAs, including former assembly speaker N D Prajapati. Thirty-nine candidates are first-timers while 36 are the ones who had lost in 2018 assembly polls or in the by-polls in 2020. Nineteen women have been fielded.
There are 30 other backward class (OBC) candidates with OBC mahapanchayat leader Sahab Singh Gurjar named from Gwalior rural. About 40% of the state’s population is OBC and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has announced Bihar like caste survey in MP, if Congress comes to power.
Among prominent dynasts to get ticket are former chief minister Digvijaya Singh’s son Jaivardhan Singh from Raghogarh seat and former union minister Kantilal Bhuria’s son, Vikrant Bhuria, from Jhabua, from where Kantilal is a sitting MLA.
Other prominent contestants are KP Singh, a five-time MLA from Pichhor, from Shivpuri, Govind Singh from Lahar, Jitu Patwari from Rau, Sajjan Singh Verma from Sonkatch, Ajay Singh Rahul from Churhat, Kamleshwar Patel from Sihawal, Lakshman Singh (brother of Digvijaya Singh) from Chachaura and Vijaylaxmi Sadho from Maheshwar. Turncoats from BJP Avadesh Nayak from Datia and Baijnath Yadav from Kolaras, who also found place in the first list.
In first signs of rebellion, Congress spokesperson Ajay Singh Yadav, who was demanding ticket from Kharagpur constituency in Tikamgarh, Nagaud assembly in-charge Gajendra Singh, Sharda Khatik from Naryawali assembly seat and Vivek Yadav from Ujjain announced resignation from the party. “The party ignored OBC candidates in Bundelkhand and gave preference to defeated candidate under pressure. I will not support injustice so I am resigning from the post,” Yadav said.
Congress spokesperson Piyush Babele said, “The Congress showed trust in the senior leaders and released the list on the auspicious day of Navratri. The Congress party has given tickets to 144 candidates on the basis of survey and opinion of all the senior state and central leaders.”
BJP state president VD Sharma said, “The Congress list is all about family, corruption and criminals. This list has proved that defeated candidates were given ticket to save their image. After the public, now even the Congress high command has no faith in Kamal Nath, that is why the ticket of no sitting MLA except Kamal Nath has been finalised in Chhindwara district.”
Political analyst Deepak Tiwari said, “The party has fielded candidates on expected lines. The party didn’t take any undue risk by fielding new candidates. The list also showed that only those who are working for the party for years have been given ticket.”
