Congress replaces candidates in four seats ahead of Madhya Pradesh polls

Bhopal: The Congress party has made significant changes in its candidate lineup for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly elections by replacing nominees in four assembly constituencies.

These changes are part of the Congress party's preparations for the upcoming polls in the state.

The four constituencies affected by the candidate replacements are Sumawali seat in Morena district, Pipariya (Scheduled Caste) seat in Narmadapuram district, Badnagar seat in Ujjain district, and Jaora seat in Ratlam district.

Ajab Singh Kushwaha has been nominated for the Sumawali seat, replacing Kuldeep Sikarwar. Virendra Belvanshi is the new candidate for the Pipariya (SC) seat, replacing Guru Charan Khare. Murli Morwal will be contesting from the Badnagar seat instead of Rajendra Singh Solanki. Virender Singh Solanki is the new candidate for the Jaora seat, replacing Himmat Shrimal.

Previously, the Congress party had released its second list of 85 candidates for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. The decision to replace three of the initially declared nominees reflects the party's commitment to fielding strong candidates in the upcoming polls.

The Congress had previously announced the names of 144 candidates for the state.

It's worth noting that the Congress has nominated 62 candidates belonging to the OBC category to contest in Madhya Pradesh in the two lists released. The state assembly has 47 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 35 for Scheduled Castes. In the 2018 elections, the Congress nominated 60 OBC candidates.

Madhya Pradesh is one of the five states scheduled to hold elections this year. The state's voting day is set for November 17, with the vote count taking place on December 3. Voters will choose representatives from 230 Assembly constituencies.

In the previous state assembly elections in 2018, the Congress came to power, and veteran leader Kamal Nath assumed the role of chief minister.

However, political dynamics changed in 2020 when Jyotiraditya Scindia, then a member of the Congress, along with 22 loyalist MLAs, joined the BJP. This shift in allegiance led to the Congress government losing its majority, and the BJP took over, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan returning as the chief minister.

The upcoming elections are expected to be closely watched, given the state's recent political developments.