INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
13 candidates for the November 28 assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, which mainly comprises new faces.The party has dropped Pandhurna Member
of Legislative Assembly or MLA Jatan Uikey and replaced him with Neelesh Uikey.Loyalists of Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath and
Guna Member of Parliament or MP Jyotiraditya Scindia also found place on the list.Both Mr Scindia and Mr Nath, the sitting lawmaker from
Chhindwara seat, are believed to be the top contenders for the chief minister's post from the Congress.With the latest list issued Monday
night, the Congress has so far announced 184 nominees for the total 230 assembly constituencies.The announcement for the remaining 46
candidates is awaited as only three days are left for filing nominations.The Congress has been out of power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003
The incumbent Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government is seeking a fourth straight term.Among the 13 candidates, the Congress has fielded
former state minister Deepak Saxena, a close confidante of Kamal Nath, from Chhindwara seat.Another prominent nominee is Mahendra Singh
Sisodiya, a loyalist of state Congress campaign committee chief Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has been re-nominated from Bamori in Guna
district.The Congress seems to have reposed faith in the first-timers in its latest list.Among the new nominees are Sunil Uikey from
Junnardeo and Sujit Choudhary from Chourai assembly seat in Chhindwara district.The Congress has also fielded Manoj Choudhary, a
first-timer, from Hatpipalya in Dewas district.Other candidates who would be contesting the polls as first-time Congress nominees are
Shrikant Chaturvedi (Maihar) and Ramshankar Payasi (Rampur Baghelan) in Satna district.Babita Saket who switched over to the Congress from
BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) was allotted ticket from Mangavan seat in Rewa district.The Congress has fielded Tilak Raj Singh and Sammati
Prakash Saini from Manpur in Umaria district and Panagar in Jabalpur district respectively.Jaipal Singh Jajji, who had lost the 2013 polls
from Ashok Nagar seat, has been nominated from the same seat.Arif Masood, who had lost from Bhopal Central constituency last time, has also
been given a ticket.The Congress announced its first list of 155 candidates on November 3 in which it re-nominated 46 lawmakers
A day after, it announced the second list of 16 candidates.In the 230-member house, the Congress has 57 Members of Legislative Assembly.
