BHOPAL, Oct 15: The opposition Congress has given tickets to 69 sitting legislators, including state unit chief Kamal Nath, in the first list of its 144 candidates announced on Sunday for the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls scheduled next month.
Actor Vikram Mastal, who played the role of Lord Hanuman in a television serial, has been fielded by the party from Budhni in Sehore against MP Chief Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
State Congress president and former chief minister Kamal Nath has been fielded from his home-turf Chhindwara.
Polls to the 230-member state assembly will be held on November 17, while votes will be counted on December 3.
The Congress has fielded Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh’s son Jaivardhan Singh from Raghogarh and brother Lakshman Singh from Chachoura in Guna. Both are sitting legislators.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Dr Govind Singh has been fielded from Lahar constituency in Bhind district, while former BJP MP Bodh Singh Bhagat, who recently joined the Congress, has been fielded from Katangi in Balaghat district.
Many who served as ministers either during the previous Kamal Nath government or the Digvijaya Singh-led regime of the Congress in the state earlier were included in the list.
In Bhopal district, the Congress has fielded Manoj Shukla from Narela seat, sitting MLA Arif Masood from Bhopal Central and Jaishri Harikiran from Berasia.
In Indore city, the Congress has given ticket to sitting MLA Sanjay Shukla from Indore-1 seat, where the BJP has fielded its national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.
The Congress has fielded Chintamani Choukse Chintu from Indore-2 and Raja Mandhwani from Indore-4.
In Chhattisgarh, the party fielded its chief minister Bhupesh Baghel from his Patan assembly constituency and deputy chief minister T S Singh Deo from Ambikapur assembly seat.
Another senior minister Tamradhwaj Sahu has been fielded from Durg Rural assembly seat while Chhattisgarh assembly Speaker Charan Das Mahant has been fielded from Sakti assembly seat.
Pradesh Congress chief Deepak Baij has been fielded by the party from the Chitrakot-ST assembly seat. He is currently the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Bastar.
Former PCC chief and now a minister Mohan Markam has been fielded from the Kondagaon-ST assembly seat which he earlier represented.
In Telangana, the party fielded Pradesh Congress chief Anumala Revanth Reddy from Kodangal assembly seat while CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu has been fielded from Madhira-SC seat.Revanth Reddy is currently the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Malkajgiri Parliamentary constituency.
The party has also fielded its sitting Lok Sabha MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy from the Huzurnagar assembly constituency. He currently represents the Nalgonda Lok Sabha seat in Telangana.
Besides, first timer Kota Neelima, wife of national spokesperson Pawan Khera, has also been fielded from Sanathnagar assembly seat.
While Chhatisgarh assembly polls will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17, Madhya Pradesh elections will be held on November 17. Telangana assembly polls will be held on November 30.The results will be declared on December 3. (PTI)
