Cong may deny re-nomination to ‘unpopular’ sitting MLAs in Madhya Pradesh

Seeking to dislodge the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh in the forthcoming assembly poll due to be held in November/December this year, Congress has decided to declare its prospective assembly poll contestants well in advance and also deny re-nomination to the MLAs, who, in the opinion of the party, are ‘unpopular’ and are not likely to win their seats.

According to the sources in the MP unit of the party, Congress has already selected more than one hundred prospective candidates for the forthcoming election and their names will be announced in the next few days.
‘’We have finalised around 125 potential nominees…. their names have been recommended to the party’s central leadership for approval….once the names are approved we will announce them,’’ said a senior MP Congress leader in Bhopal on Tuesday.

Sources said that around two dozen sitting MLAs could be denied re-nomination in the forthcoming assembly poll. The Party was conducting an internal survey in their assembly constituencies to gauge the public opinion as well as receiving feedback from the party workers before taking any decision in this regard.

Sources said that the Congress could field its senior leaders on the assembly seats which were considered to be the strongholds of the BJP in a bid to make the contest tougher for them. The grand old party was also likely to give nominations to the disgruntled BJP leaders, who were in touch with the Congress and might cross over as the poll neared.

Sources said that a large number of BJP leaders as well as the loyalists of the former Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, who had rebelled against the Kamalnath regime and joined hands with the BJP along with 20 MLAs, were in contact with the Congress. ‘’Winnability is the sole criteria for selection of candidates,’’ said the Congress leader.