Madhya Pradesh assembly polls: Congress releases fifth list of candidates, fields ex-BJP leader Sartaj Singh from Hoshangabad

Congress party has fielded former BJP leader Sartaj Singh from Hoshangabad.

NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Thursday released its fifth list of 16 candidates for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, taking the total number of declared candidatures to 229.

Congress releases fifth list of 16 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. Sartaj Singh who has joined Congress from BJP to contest from Hoshangabad constituency. pic.twitter.com/OynQEqTLcI

— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2018

The party had on Wednesday released its fourth list of 29 candidates for the assembly elections to the 230-member Assembly.

The Congress announced its first list of 155 candidates on November 3 in which it renominated 46 MLAs. 

A day after, it announced the second list of 16 candidates.

On Monday night, the Congress announced the third list of 13 candidates.

With Thursday's announcement, the name of just one Congress candidate for the Manpur seat is awaited.

In the current assembly, the Congress has 57 MLAs.

Causing embarrassment to the Congress party, senior leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi’s son Nitin on Thursday filed nomination from Rajnagar on a Samajwadi Party ticket.

Though Satyavrat Chaturvedi maintained that he still stands with his party, he went on to say to that his party has been committing mistakes and he does not endorse the party’s mindset.

“Maine Congress nahi chorri hai aur na hi Congress ki vichaar dhara. Agar Congress ne 15 saal tak koi galti ki aur uss galti ko doharaya ja raha hai toh anyay karna jitna bada paap hai utna hi bada paap anyay sehna hai.”

Maine Congress nahi chorri hai aur na hi Congress ki vichaar dhara. Agar Congress ne 15 saal tak koi galti ki aur uss galti ko doharaya ja raha hai toh anyay karna jitna bada paap hai utna hi bada paap anyay sehna hai: Senior Congress leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/uIQdXvM3LB — ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2018

Meanwhile, in a setback to the ruling BJP, former Madhya Pradesh Minister and party leader Sartaj Singh was given Congress ticket to contest from the Hoshangabad constituency.

The Congress has been out of power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003.

The incumbent BJP government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan is seeking a fourth straight term. 

(With Agency Inputs)