BJP's second candidate list for MP polls: Congress Chief Kamal Nath claims BJP's acceptance of defeat

In a strategic move ahead of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on September 25 released its second list of 39 candidates, including seven Lok Sabha members, for the upcoming polls. Among the candidates are Union ministers Faggan Singh Kulaste, Prahlad Singh Patel, and Narendra Singh Tomar, as well as party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. This announcement comes as a significant step in the BJP's campaign strategy for the state.

With 78 declared candidates out of a total of 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP is intensifying its efforts to regain power in the state.

However, state Congress chief Kamal Nath has offered a contrasting perspective on the BJP's candidate list. He believes that the BJP's move signifies a tacit admission of defeat in Madhya Pradesh. In a recent post on social media, Nath characterized the BJP's candidate selection as its "last bet of false hope."

Nath went on to assert that the BJP's list of candidates is indicative of internal challenges within the party. He argued that despite the BJP's claims of having a vast network of party workers, the candidate selection suggests otherwise. Nath also contended that the list contradicts the BJP's assertions of development during the eighteen-and-a-half years of BJP rule and more than 15 years of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's leadership.

Furthermore, Kamal Nath criticized the BJP's claims of Madhya Pradesh's development, stating that these assertions have been exposed and proven to be untrue.

The upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections are highly anticipated and are scheduled to take place later this year. The Election Commission has yet to announce the official poll schedule. In the 2018 elections, the Congress secured victory by winning 114 seats, forming the government under Kamal Nath. However, the government collapsed in March 2020 due to a rebellion by MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia, leading to Shivraj Singh Chouhan's return as Chief Minister. Subsequent bypolls, marked by legislators switching sides, have shifted the balance of power, with the BJP currently holding 126 seats in the 230-member House, while the Congress has 96 legislators.