BJP declares candidate for Chitrakoot bypolls

New Delhi, Oct 22 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday declared Shankar Dayal Tripathi as its candidate for the November 9 by-election to the Chitrakoot assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh's Satna district.

The seat, considered a Congress stronghold, fell vacant after the death of Congress legislator Prem Singh in May this year. Singh had won this seat thrice -- in 1998, 2003 and 2013.

The BJP has been ruling Madhya Pradesh for three consecutive terms and is confident of victory in the bypolls. 

The assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh are slated for November next year. 

Tripathi, known as a grassroots worker of the BJP, will file his nomination on Monday, the last day for filing nominations. The names can be withdrawn till October 26. 

Polling will be held on November 9 and the result would be declared on November 12.