BHOPAL: Unrest has hit opposition Congress in many parts of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh after the party released its first list of 144 candidates on Sunday. Protests and resignations by workers and leaders have been reported from Sagar, Datia, Ujjain, Satna, Gwalior, Chhatarpur and Panna districts. In Satna district, annoyed over the denial of nomination and instead fielding 2018 rebel candidate Rashmi Singh Patel, former MLA Yadvendra Singh quit the Congress and joined the BSP. He is likely to contest from Nagod.
Also, peeved over no OBC leader being fielded from any of the three unreserved seats of Tikamgarh district (Tikamgarh, Prithvipur and Khargapur), state Congress’s media department’s vice-chairman Ajay Singh Yadav resigned from all party posts.
“OBCs form 70% of Tikamgarh. Still on all three unreserved seats, Congress fielded candidates from a particular upper caste. This exposes the hollowness in the Congress’ newfound love for backward castes,” Ajay Singh Yadav said.
In the neighbouring Sagar district, the second-time district panchayat member Sharda Khatik (who was in the race for the party ticket from Naryaoli-SC seat) also quit the party against the nomination of ex-minister and former MLA Surendra Chowdhary, despite him losing the Naryaoli seat thrice in the past.
Congress workers protested outside the district party office in Datia district against the nomination of former BJP leader Avdhesh Nayak after denying a chance to former MLA Rajendra Bharti against state Home Minister and sitting MLA Narottam Mishra. The agitated party workers set ablaze the effigy of the newly declared Congress candidate.
In Indore, party workers set ablaze the effigy of Indore-4 candidate Raja Mandhwani, dubbing him a weak candidate as well as alleging that he would offer no challenge to the third-time sitting BJP MLA and ex-Indore mayor Malini Gaur. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports said three-time former Dhar MP Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi too is dejected over the manner in which tickets have been distributed in Dhar district.
Crisis in Mandsaur In Mandsaur district, a major section of Congress is annoyed over fielding Rakesh Patidar as candidate from Suvasara seat. Local Congress leader Balu Singh Tarnod has announced to contest against him
