MP polls: Congress releases first list of candidates

New Delhi  :  The Congress on Saturday released its first list of 155 candidates for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.

The list does not include either of the party's two chief ministerial probables -- Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath and Guna lawmaker Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Congress veteran and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh's brother Laxman Singh has been fielded from the Chachaura seat in Guna district, while Digvijaya Singh's son Jaivardhan Singh will re-contest from Raghogarh, earlier represented by Digvijaya Singh in 1998 and 2003.

Congress national secretary Jitu Patwari is contesting from Rau in Indore district and party leader Suresh Pachauri has been fielded from Raisen district's Bhojpur seat.

Govind Singh has been re-nominated from the Lahar seat in Bhind district, while in neighbouring Gwalior district, sitting legislator Lakhan Singh Yadav has been re-nominated from Bhitrwar.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced its first list of candidates for 177 seats.

Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's brother-in-law Sanjay Singh Masani joined the Congress.

Brother of Chouhan's wife Sadhana, Masani was formally inducted into the party in the presence of Kamal Nath here.

Sanjay Singh Masani was said to be peeved at the BJP for denying him a ticket for the Assembly polls. He reportedly wanted to contest from Waraseoni in Balaghat district from where the BJP has fielded sitting MLA Yogendra Nirmal.

The 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly will have a single-phase polling on November 28.