MP Assembly Elections 2023 Latest Update: The Congress on Sunday released its first list of candidates for the upcoming elections to the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly. In the first list, the Congress party has announced candidates on 144 seats.

The grand-old-party has fielded actor Vikram Munjal, who played the role of ‘Hanuman’ in Anand Sagar’s 2008 TV serial ‘Ramayan’, against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Budhni assembly constituency.

Former CM and Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath has been given a ticket from his stronghold Chhindwara. Jaivardhan Singh, the son of former MP CM Digvijaya Singh, will contest the MP assembly elections from Raghigath seat on Congress ticket. Jaivardhan was a minister in the last Kamal Nath government that collapsed in March 2021, following a revolt by Jyotiraditya Scindia and 22 other MLAs supporting him.

Earlier, the Congress party had said that it will announce the candidates for assembly elections in five states after the end of ‘Pitra Paksha’ – a fifteen day period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors in form of “Shradh”. ‘Pitra Paksha’ ended on Saturday and Navratri – a nine Hindu festival – has started today.

मध्यप्रदेश विधानसभा चुनाव 2023 के लिये कांग्रेस पार्टी के 144 उम्मीदवारों की प्रथम सूची।

सभी को प्रचंड जीत की अग्रिम बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएँ।

“बढ़ाइये हाथ, फिर कमलनाथ” pic.twitter.com/yUXQT4jpoz

— MP Congress (@INCMP) /INCMP/status/1713399477665435824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 15, 2023

The Congress party is hoping to dethrone Shivraj Singh and return to power after its abrupt collapse in March 2021. The party will be in a direct contest with the ruling BJP, which has fielded a number of union ministers and national leaders in hope of retaining power.

This time, the BJP is fighting the elections in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and refrained from announcing chief ministerial candidate. This is also being seen as a snub to CM Chouhan who, experts believe, is facing a massive wave of anti-incumbency.

The elections to the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly will be held on 17 November and the results will announced on December 3, along with four other states – Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.