BHOPAL: Dissidence in their ranks continue to trouble the ruling BJP and opposition Congress in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, as attempts by both the leading parties to cajole party rebels to withdraw nominations failed to deliver the desired results on Wednesday — the last date for withdrawing nominations for the November 28 assembly elections.
While most of the rebels of Congress, who are contesting either as independents or as candidates of smaller parties like Samajwadi Party (SP) and Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) are not big names and could do limited damage to party’s poll prospects in around 15-20 seats, the rebels in the ruling BJP, include big names who are likely to turn spoilsports to party’s prospects in around two dozen seats.
The big names of BJP who are either contesting as rebels or as candidates of smaller parties, include ex-MP minister Ramkrishna Kusmaria (Damoh and Patheriya seats), ex-MLAs Brahmanand Ratnakar (Berasiya-Bhopal), Vishwamitra Pathak (Sihawal-Sidhi) and Rajkumar Mev (Maheshwar), Dheeraj Pateria (Jabalpur North), Bharat Yadav (Pangar-Jabalpur), Ramesh Khatik (Karera), KL Agrawal (Bamori), Kailash Kushwah (Pohri) and ex-Gwalior mayor Sameeksha Gupta (Gwalior South).
With many BJP rebels not withdrawing their nominations, the electoral fate of at least three ministers, hangs in balance.The Congress, which too is troubled by dissidence, despite many of its rebels (particularly on all nine seats of Indore district) withdrawing their nominations is facing difficulty particularly in the tribal districts of Jhabua and Alirajpur, which border Gujarat.
While ex-MLA Javier Medha is still in the fray from Jhabua seat of Jhabua district, former MP minister Sulochana Rawat’s son Vishal Rawat is in the fray against party candidate Kalawati Bhuria from Jobat.
14 MLAS out of BJP’s rajasthan 2nd list
JAIPUR: While Opposition Congress has been unable to release even its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly Elections, BJP has stolen a march over them and has released its second list of 31 candidates. The list does not 14 sitting MLA, including three ministers. With its second list out, the total list of BJP candidates is now up to 162. Thirty nine new faces have been introduced.