Bhopal: On Sunday, the Congress party revealed its initial list of 144 candidates for the forthcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. Among the notable candidates, the state unit president and former chief minister, Kamal Nath, will be contesting from the Chhindwara constituency. Another significant candidate is Jaivardhan Singh, the son of former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, who will be running for the Raghigath seat. He previously served as a minister in the last Kamal Nath-led government, which crumbled in March 2021 when 22 Congress MLAs resigned and switched allegiances to the BJP under the leadership of Jyotiraditya Scindia.

मध्य प्रदेश में होने वाले विधानसभा चुनाव, 2023 के लिए भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस द्वारा जारी उम्मीदवारों की पहली सूची। pic.twitter.com/RWIXZUoVcv

— Congress (@INCIndia) October 15, 2023

This announcement follows a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee, which convened at the AICC office in New Delhi to finalize the candidate selection. Kamal Nath had previously stated that the Congress would unveil its list of candidates for the assembly polls after the conclusion of 'Pitru Paksha,' a period during which Hindus pay homage to their ancestors. As Sunday marked the conclusion of Pitru Paksha, it coincided with the auspicious beginning of the Navratri festival.

In contrast, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had already declared candidates for 136 out of the 230 assembly constituencies in the state. The Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections are scheduled to take place on November 17, with the vote count slated for December 3. Additionally, the Congress party released its initial list of 30 candidates for the Chhattisgarh assembly elections and 55 candidates for the Telangana assembly polls, which are set to occur next month.

छत्तीसगढ़ में होने वाले विधानसभा चुनाव, 2023 के लिए भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस द्वारा जारी उम्मीदवारों की पहली सूची। pic.twitter.com/0KTjSQ57iJ

— Congress (@INCIndia) October 15, 2023

In Chhattisgarh, the party has fielded its chief minister, Bhupesh Baghel, for the Patan assembly constituency and the deputy chief minister, T S Singh Deo, for the Ambikapur assembly seat. In Telangana, the Congress has chosen its state unit chief, Anumala Revanth Reddy, to contest from the Kodangal assembly seat, and the CLP leader, Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, for the Madhira-SC seat. Chhattisgarh's assembly polls will take place in two phases on November 7 and 17, while the Telangana assembly elections are scheduled for November 30.

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