Date:02/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/02/stories/2008110255330700.htm

National

Congress releases first list for Madhya Pradesh polls

Special Correspondent

Many sitting legislators have been re-nominated

Ex-SP leader joins Congress, to contest from Rajnagar
Chief Minister has declared he will not be contesting

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday declared its first list of 117 candidates for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly re-nominating majority of its sitting legislators barring former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, who had declared earlier that he was not contesting this time.

Mr. Singh, who is currently the All India Congress Committee general secretary, was the Chief Minister for 10 years till the party lost power in the 2003 elections.

His confidant Mool Singh got the party ticket from Raghogarh, a seat Mr. Singh holds in the current assembly.

Prominent leaders who find favour once again include Leader of the Opposition, Jamuna Devi (Kukshi-ST), former Deputy Chief Minister Subhash Yadav (Kasrawad), Ajay Singh (Churhat) and former Speaker Sriniwas Tiwari.

Mr. Ajay Singh is the son of Union Minister Arjun Singh.

The party has re-nominated a majority of known faces including Ratnesh Solomon (Jabera), brother-in-law of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi. Mr. Solomon served as a Minister in the previous government.

In Jhabua reserved, the Congress has fielded Kalavati Bhuria, a relative of tribal leader Kantilal Bhurai, who represented the area in Lok Sabha.

The re-nominated legislators include Ram Niwas Rawat (Vijaypur), Satyadev Katare (Ater), Govind Singh (Lahar), Ghanshyam Singh (Datia), K.P. Singh (Pichhore), Govind Rajput (Surkhi), Prem Singh (Chitrakoot), among others.

The Congress also accommodated Vikram Singh Natiraja, who had crossed over recently from the Samajwadi Party.

He will contest from Rajnagar, having won from Chattarpur in the last polls.