BHOPAL: The four-phase Lok Sabha polls could provide a political lifeline to Congress’s old warhorses who suffered shock defeats in last year’s Vidhan Sabha polls. At least four prominent leaders and former state ministers, among them Leader of Opposition in the previous Vidhan Sabha, Ajay Singh ‘Rahul,’ the deputy speaker of the last Vidhan Sabha, Rajendra Kumar Singh, chief whip of the party in the previous Vidhan Sabha, Ramnivas Rawat, and ex-minister Mukesh Nayak are strong probables for party tickets for Lok Sabha seats in the Bundelkhand, Vindhya and Gwalior-Chambal region.
And it’s not only the Congress’s old warhorses who could be in fray in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Two ex-BJP MPs who are now in the Congress are also eyeing Lok Sabha tickets from the grand old party. Former Union and MP minister Sartaj Singh, who unsuccessfully contested from Hoshangabad Assembly seat on a Congress ticket, is eyeing Congress candidature from Hoshangabad Lok Sabha seat, which he won in 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 2004. Kurmi community leader and ex-MP minister Ramkrishna Kusmaria ‘Babaji,’ is keen on contesting from Damoh seat, which he won in 1991, 1996, 1998 and 1999.