Lok Sabha polls: Cong declares names for three seats in MP, fields two ex-MLAs

Bhopal: The Congress on Saturday announced the candidates for the three remaining Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, fielding two former legislators.

With the announcement of its nominees from Khandwa, Gwalior and Morena, the Congress has now fielded candidates in 28 of the 29 Lok Sabha constituencies. One seat – Khajuraho – has been given to the Samajwadi Party (SP) under the INDIA bloc seat-sharing arrangement.

The Congress has fielded former MLA Praveen Pathak against BJP's Bharat Singh Kushwaha from Gwalior. Pathak had been elected on a Congress ticket from Gwalior South assembly seat in 2018 but faced defeat in 2023.

Ex-legislator Satyapal Singh Sikarwar has been nominated from Morena and will face off with BJP’s Shivmangal Singh Tomar.

This Lok Sabha seat was won by BJP's Narendra Singh Tomar in 2019, but he was elected as an MLA last year and later made the speaker of the Madhya Pradesh assembly.

Sikarwar was elected as MLA from the Sumawali assembly seat in 2013 on a BJP ticket. His father had also won the same assembly seat in 2003. Sikarwar was expelled from the saffron outfit in 2020 for alleged anti-party activities, following which he joined the Congress.

Congress has fielded Narendra Patel from Khandwa amid speculations that former union minister Arun Yadav could be the candidate from there.

Patel had contested from Badwah in the 2023 assembly polls and lost to BJP’s Sachin Birla by 5,499 votes. The BJP has fielded sitting MP Gyaneshwar Patil from Khandwa LS seat.

Gwalior and Morena will go to polls in the third phase on May 7, while voting in Khandwa will be held in the fourth phase on May 13.