Hours after its fifth list of 16 candidates for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections due on November 28, the Congress on Thursday released the sixth list of 7 candidates, taking the total number of declared candidatures to 213. Among the seven candidates, former Lok Sabha MP Arun Yadav will contest against BJP candidate and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Budhni.
"Congress releases a list of 7 candidates for upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. Arun Yadav to contest from Budhni, to fight against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan," the news agency ANI reported.
Congress releases a list of 7 candidates for upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. Arun Yadav to contest from Budhni, to fight against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. pic.twitter.com/MMKdwaM3z6
— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2018
Meanwhile, Vyapam Whistleblower Anand Rai, who was gearing up to contest the Madhya Pradesh assembly poll on a Congress ticket has expressed his dissatisfaction for not getting one. Speaking to media, Rai said, "I have not been given a ticket to fight elections even though Rahul Gandhi had assured me of it. It was only because of me that Congress's Sanjeev Saxena was not given a ticket".
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The Congress announced its first list of 155 candidates on November 3 in which it re-nominated 46 MLAs. A day after, it announced the second list of 16 candidates. On Monday night, the Congress announced the third list of 13 candidates. In the current Assembly, Congress has 57 MLAs.
Minutes after, the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also released its fourth list of seven candidates for the upcoming legislative assembly elections in the state. The BJP has fielded Bahadur Singh Chauhan from Mahidpur, Fatima Rasul Siddaki from Bhopal Uttar and Brijendra Singh from Panna among others, according to a party statement.
"Bharatiya Janata Party releases the fourth list of seven candidates for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly elections," tweeted ANI.
Bharatiya Janata Party releases fourth list of seven candidates for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly elections. pic.twitter.com/0TfajoCQgJ
— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2018
The BJP has not given a ticket to Madhya Pradesh Minister and BJP leader Kusum Mehdele to contest from Panna, from where she is a sitting MLA.
While the ruling BJP government is seeking a fourth straight term in Madhya Pradesh, the Opposition Congress is making all possible attempts to oust the Shivraj Singh Chauhan government from the state.
Polling in Madhya Pradesh is slated for 28 November which will decide the fate of candidates in 230 constituencies across the state. The tenure of Madhya Pradesh assembly is scheduled to end on January 7, 2019