BHOPAL: In an embarrassment to Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Congress has decided to bank on a relative of his wife for the upcoming Assembly bypolls.
Sanjay Singh Masani, the CM’s brother-in-law, was appointed as the Congress state vice-president by ex-CM and MP Congress Committee chief Kamal Nath on Wednesday.
In addition to the organisational post, Singh was also given the charge of state coordinator/in-charge of publicity related matters for the upcoming 25 Assembly by-elections.
The ruling BJP is pinning hopes on the charishma of Jyotiraditya Scindia to win the Assembly bypolls.
In the 2013 Assembly polls, when the party won a thumping 165 seats majority, Masani had sought a BJP ticket from Balaghat district, but failed to get it.
Around two years ago, Masani had joined the Congress on being denied BJP ticket for the 2018 polls.
He was later fielded by the Congress from the Waraseoni constituency of Balaghat district, but he lost, finishing fourth.
The seat was won by rebel Congress candidate Pradeep Jaiswal (seen close to Nath), who was the only Independent MLA to have been given a cabinet portfolio in the Nath government.
Bypoll crucial for CM Shivraj Singh and BJP
Of 24 seats, BJP needs to win at least nine to gain the magic number of 116 on its own in the 230-member Assembly.
It has 107 MLAs, while the Congress has 92. BJP claims to enjoy the support of seven more.