8 MLAs not on Congress second list in MP, 4 turncoats get tickets

In three seats where the candidates were announced in the first list, the party has announced new names. Former Assembly Speaker N P Prajapati replaced Shekhar Chaudhary in Gotegaon. Arvind Singh Lodhi replaced Shailendra Singh in Pichhore and Rajendra Bharti was fielded instead of Awadhesh Nayak in Datia. Bharti, who will face BJP’s state home minister Narottam Mishra, is contesting for a fourth time. Arvind will face former CM Uma Bharti’s close confidant Pritam Singh Lodhi. The BJP has fielded a fresh face in Mahendra Nagesh from Gotegaon.

A senior Congress leader said this was done to avoid further rebellion by disgruntled leaders. “Many who did not get tickets joined other parties, we know how much they can damage us,” the leader said.

Kolaras MLA Virendra Raghuvanshi, who crossed over to the Congress from the BJP last month, hasn’t been given a ticket. Raghuvanshi had been gunning for a ticket after he left the BJP following a feud with Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. “Virendra will be given bigger responsibility… and asked to take care of Raghuvanshi community events,” a Congress leader said.

Former CM Kailash Joshi’s son Deepak, who left the BJP to join the Congress in May, has been named from Khategaon.

Abhay Mishra, who resigned from the BJP on Wednesday, has been given a ticket from Semariya. Former BJP MLAs Bhawarsingh Shekhawat and Girija Shankar Sharma have been fielded from Badnawar and Hoshangabad. Amit Rai, a former BJP district vice-president, will contest from Niwari.

The party has denied tickets to at least eight MLAs. “Some of these had criminal cases… others got poor feedback in surveys,” said Congress state vice-president J P Dhanopia.

The party is also fielding Ravinder Singh Tomar from Dimani, where he will take on Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. From Scindia bastion Gwalior, the Congress has fielded Sunil Sharma.