The ruling BJP and the opposition Congress party in Madhya Pradesh have three days to make things right, as that is the last date of withdrawing names from contesting the Assembly polls. Around 35 disgruntled BJP leaders and almost an equal number of unhappy Congress leaders have filed nominations as independent candidates for the 17 November assembly polls.
The last date of filing nominations was 30 October, and, according to the figures of the Election Commission (EC), 3832 candidates have filed their nominations.
According to Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan, the EC has received 4359 nominations filed by 3832 candidates in MP. As per the CEO, 2489 candidates filed 2811 nomination forms on the last day of filing nominations.
The process of filing nominations began on 21 October and it ended on 30 October. Now, 2 November is the last date for taking back names from contesting the polls.
As per information received from across the state, the BJP is facing at least 34 disgruntled candidates who have filed nominations, as independent candidates.
Similarly, the number of unhappy Congress leaders who have filed nominations as independent candidates is 31.
Senior leaders of the both parties have the next three days to either convince the discontented independent candidates to take back their names or somehow take steps to nullify their effect.
Otherwise, both the parties face a likely situation where their respective votes would be dented and consequently the official candidates of the respective party would have an uphill task in winning the polls.
The significant unhappy independent candidates from the BJP include former Madhya Pradesh BJP Chief and Lok Sabha Member late Nandkumar Singh Chauhan’s son Harsh Chauhan from Burhanpur seat, former MLA Panna Bai Prajapati from Mangawan, five-time MLA and former minister Moti Kashyap from Badwara, MLA Kedar Shukla from Sidhi, former minister Ranjana Baghel from Manawar and former MLA K K Shrivastava from Tikamgarh.
Besides, the ruling saffron party is also facing problems from its leaders including Jabalpur Municipal Corporation leader of opposition Kamlesh Agrawal, BJP Backward Cell chairman Ashok Vishwakarma from Mudwara, former district president Rajeev Yadav from Dhar, Forest Development Corporation President Madho Singh Dabar from Jobat, and several other BJP leaders who have filed nominations as independent candidates for these polls.
The opposition Congress is facing no less trouble with the revolt by around 31 of its leaders who have filed nominations as independent candidates.
In Bhopal, Congress leader Nasir Islam and Amir Aqueel, who is the real uncle of Congress party’s official candidate Atif Aqueel, have filed nominations as independents from Bhopal North Assembly seat. Similarly, BJP-leader-turned-Congressman Jitendra Daga has filed his papers as an independent from the Huzur seat in Bhopal.
Similarly, former Congress MLA Antar Singh Darbar has filed nomination as independent from the Mhow assembly seat, senior Congress leader Bhagwandas Chaudhary from Hata seat, Congress leader Kuldeep Bundela from Dhar and several other disgruntled Congress leaders have also filed papers as independent candidates.
Meanwhile, the maximum number of candidates in MP for these polls is in the Ater assembly seat where 41 persons have filed nominations to contest the elections. The Satna assembly constituency is second in that regard with 36 candidates, followed by Bhind seat that has 35 candidates.
Six assembly seats including Bagli, Dharmpuri, Kukshi, Sardarpur, Bhikangaon and Bichiya account for the lowest number of candidates, with only seven contestants respectively on each of the seats.