BJP releases list of 177 candidates for Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls

The BJP Friday released its first list of 177 candidates for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, dropping over two dozen MLAs and fielding Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from his traditional Budhni seat.

Three ministers are among the MLAs who have been denied renomination, while seats of several legislators of the ruling party have been changed.

Three sitting independent MLAs have been fielded as BJP candidates from their respective constituencies.

Madhya Pradesh, which has a 230-member Assembly, will have a single phase polling on November 28.

Chouhan, holding the CM's post since 2005, will once again contest from Budhni, his home turf in Sehore district.

The list was released in New Delhi by Union minister J P Nadda, who is also secretary of the BJP's Central Election Committee.

In the list, Urban Administration Minister Maya Singh has been dropped from Gwalior (East), from where Satish Sikarwar has been fielded, party leaders said.

Another minister Lalita Yadav, elected from Chhatarpur in 2013, will this time contest from neighbouring Malahra seat.

From Sanchi, the party has fielded Mudit Shejwar in place of his father Gaurishankar Shejwar, who is Forest Minister, the leaders said.

Another minister Harsh Singh has been dropped and his son Vikram Singh has been fielded from Rampur Baghelan seat, they said.

The BJP has fielded two sitting members of Parliament for assembly polls.

Its MP from Dewas Manohar Singh Untwal will contest from Agar assembly seat, while the Lok Sabha member from Khajuraho, Nagendra Singh, will be the BJP candidate from Nagod seat.

Sudhir Yadav, son of Sagar MP Laxminarayan Yadav, has been fielded from Surkhi, the sources said.

The BJP has also fielded three MLAs, who had won the last assembly elections as independent candidates, from their respective seats. They are Kal Singh Bhabar (Thandla), Sudesh Rai (Sehore) and Dinesh Rai Munmun (Seoni), they said.

The BJP is in power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003.

The seats where the sitting MLAs have not been given tickets by the BJP include Sabalgarh, Sumaoli, Gwalior (East), Sewda, Guna, Surkhi, Tikamgarh, Prithvipur, Malahra, Hatta, Gunnor, Rampur Baghelan, Simaria, Teothar, Deosar, Junnardeo, Jaisinghnagar, Aamla, Ghodadongri, Sanchi, Vidisha, Ashta, Agar, Mandhata, Pandhana, Maheshwar, Sardarpur and Dharampuri.

(With inputs from agencies.)