Congress is exploring the possibility of extending support to a ‘suitable’ independent candidate in Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh following the rejection of nomination papers of Samajwadi Party (SP)’s nominee Meera Yadav from the seat after scrutiny.
Congress has left Khajuraho seat to SP under the seat-sharing arrangement among the INDIA bloc partners.
Sources said that the party has already started the exercise of screening the ‘most suitable’ candidate among the 14 independents who are in the fray in the constituency to declare him party’s ‘unofficial nominee’ in the seat.
“Congress is seriously contemplating to give support to an independent candidate in Khajuraho seat to deny BJP candidate in the constituency Vishnu Dutt Sharma a walkover in the polls.
The party has already started the exercise of finding the most suitable candidate among the independents, who are in the fray, to take on the BJP in the seat”, K K Mishra, media advisor to Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Jitu Patwari, told this newspaper on Sunday.
He however said that a decision in this regard would be taken by Mr Patwari after taking the AICC leadership into confidence.
Sources said that All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) candidate in the seat R B Prajapati, a retired IAS officer, may be supported by Congress to take on Mr Sharma in the seat.
In a related development, Mr Prajapati met Mr Patwari at state Congress headquarters here seeking the support by Congress to his candidature in Khajuraho seat.
“I have received a positive response from Mr Patwari in this regard”, Mr Prajapati said on Sunday.
Mr Prajapati claimed that he is the most suitable candidate among the 14 independents who are in the fray in the constituency to give a good fight against Mr Sharma.
BJP candidate Mr Sharma is seeking re-election from Khajuraho in the polls.
Madhya Pradesh is going to LS polls in four phases on April 19, April 26, May 7 and May 13.
