BJP, Congress Face Party Rebels in Many Seats in MP, Chhattisgarh

BHOPAL: Both BJP and Congress are facing rebel candidates of their respective parties in many assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh.

With the withdrawal of nomination coming to an end on Thursday, five of ten BJP rebel candidates who have filed the papers in their respective assembly constituencies have withdrawn from the contest.

The remaining five rebel candidates, three of whom are contesting in the polls as independent candidates, have refused to yield to pressure by the party to withdraw their nominations.

Of the other two rebels who have remained in the fray, one is contesting as a candidate of Samajwadi Party (SP) and the other has filed nomination as a candidate of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

On the other hand, Congress has been able to persuade three of its nine leaders, who have filed nominations against the official candidates in their respective assembly seats, to withdraw from the contest.

However, the remaining six rebels have refused to withdraw their nominations and filed nominations as independent candidates.

Both the parties have been trying hard to pacify the leaders who have turned dissident following denial of party tickets.

They have not filed nominations against the official candidates of their parties, but have so far stayed away from campaigning for their parties.

Madhya Pradesh is going to assembly polls on November 17.

In Chhattisgarh too, both Congress and BJP are facing the similar issue.

Three of the ten Congress leaders who have filed nominations against the official candidates in their respective assembly seats have withdrawn from the contest.

Two of them, Dr Vinoy Jaiswal and Brihaspat Singh, who withdrew their nominations, are sitting MLAs.

Eight others have refused to withdraw their nominations.

Two of them, Anup Nag and Kismat Lal, are sitting MLAs.

Chhattisgarh is going to assembly polls in two phases on November seven and November 17.