After a prolonged deliberations, the AICC on Saturday night declared its first list of 155 candidates. In Bhopal South-West constituency, former MLA PC Sharma has been fielded against Revenue Minister Umashankar Gupta. Another nomination of Arif Aqeel has been declared from Bhopal North.
Former Union Minister and former PCC Chief Suresh Pachouri has been pitted from Bhojpur assembly constituency from where he has been defeated in last elections.
The AICC re-nominated several party MLAs, trying out youths and fielding several leaders of national repute. Tickets have been denied to three sitting MLAs.
Not experimenting too much, the party has tried doing a balancing act keeping in mind the regional and caste equations. However the party ignoring party chief Rahul Gandhi’s advice offered tickets to several turncoats including those from BJP and BSP.
Most of the constituencies from Bhopal and Indore are on hold. Among three sitting MALs denied ticked include Manoj Kumar from Anuppur, Shakuntala Khatik from Shivpuri and Govardhan Upadhyay from Sironj in Vidisha.
Tickets on Bhopal district's Huzur, Bhopal Central, Narela and high profile Govindpura seats are yet to be declared.
Among other candidates connected to Digvijay Singh, his brother Laxman Singh sidelined in MP Congress for long has been fielded from Chachora, Surendra Singh Baghel from Kukshi and exSamajwadi Party leader Hamid Qazi has been fielded from Burhanpur.
The Congress has also fielded Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS) national convener Heeralal Alawa from Manwar against ex-minister Ranjana Baghel.
As announced earlier the party has offered ample representation to the youth offering tickets to NSUI state president Vipin Vankhede from Agar, Youth Congress state head Kunal Chaudhary from Kalapipal, Sachin Yadav, brother of exUnion minister Arun Yadav, Priyavrat Singh, Digvijay Singh’s Jaivardhan Singh, industrialist Nilay Daga from Betul, Jitu Patwari, Dr Vikrant Bhuria from Jhabua from Rau and others.
Party’s prominent tribal face from Jhabua-Ratlam Kantilal Bhuria managed tickets for his kin Kalawati Bhuria, Veer Singh Bhuria and Vikrant Bhuria who is his son.
Party senior MLAs including Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh, Mukesh Nayak, Govind Singh, Govind Singh Rajput, Ashwin Joshi, Rajendra Singh, Deputy Speaker in State assembly, and others have been given re-nomination.
