MP Elections 2023: Cong releases second list, replaces 3 of its previously declared nominees

The Congress on Thursday night declared its second list of 85 candidates for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections-2023 and replaced three of its previously declared nominees.

With this, the Congress has declared all but one candidate for elections to the 230-member assembly scheduled for November 17.

Before this, the Congress had disclosed its initial list of 144 candidates for the state elections. The changes in their second list involved the replacement of candidates in key constituencies.

For the Datia assembly constituency, the Congress replaced its original nominee, Avadesh Nayak, with Rajendra Bharti, who will now face off against BJP candidate and Home Minister Narottam Mishra. Mr Bharti, a former MLA, had defeated Mr Mishra in the past but lost the last election by a slender margin.

Avadesh Nayak's initial nomination for Datia had stirred controversy among a segment of party workers and leaders, prompting the party's leadership to make this change.

Similarly, in the Pichhore assembly seat, Arvind Singh Lodhi has been nominated as the Congress candidate in lieu of Shailendra Singh.

The Gotegaon-SC assembly constituency will now see Narmada Prasad Prajapati as the Congress candidate, replacing Shekhar Chaudhary.

Tomar pitted against Tomar

The Dimani assembly seat will be contested by Ravinder Singh Tomar, who will be up against Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

The Gwalior assembly seat, a stronghold of Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, will feature Sunil Sharma as the Congress candidate. He had previously contested unsuccessfully in a by-poll against the sitting MLA and minister Pradhuman Singh Tomar, a well-known Scindia loyalist. Notably, Pradhuman Singh Tomar had switched allegiances to the BJP along with Scindia following the last assembly polls.

In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress had secured 114 seats, while the BJP had won 109. Subsequently, the Congress government fell as many MLAs, led by Jyotiraditya Scindia, defected to the BJP. Scindia later became a Union minister.

As a result, the BJP returned to power in March 2020, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan assuming the role of chief minister for another term. Currently, the BJP holds 127 seats in the assembly.