Madhya Pradesh polls: Congress fields former BJP veteran Sartaj Singh

New Delhi, Nov 8 (IANS) The Congress on Thursday released its fifth list of 16 candidates for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections fielding former Union Minister and BJP veteran Sartaj Singh.

Singh, who was in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet, switched to Congress on the day after being denied ticket by the BJP. A former state minister, he will be contesting from Hoshangabad. 

He was shunted out of the state cabinet in 2016 on the basis of the 75-plus age criteria. 

Out of power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003, the Congress so far has named candidates for 229 constituencies with only Manpur constituency being pending. 

The state goes to the polls to elect 230-member Assembly on November 28.