A total of 142 candidates are in the fray for 10 Parliamentary constituencies in second phase of lok Sabha elections to be held on April 17 in Madhya Pradesh.
Of this, maximum 28 candidates are in the Bhopal lok Sabha seat and minimum 6 in Rajgarh. The number of candidates left in fray in Morena is 17, Bhind 9, Gwalior 21, Guna 11, Sagar and Damoh 10 each, Tikamgarh 13 and Khajuraho 17.
As many as 175 candidates were in the election fray in these constituencies in lok Sabha elections-2009. Bhind and Tikamgarh lok Sabha constituencies are reserved for scheduled castes.Apart from 6 nationally recognised political parties, candidates of 33 other registered parties and 54 independents are also contesting elections. Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress have fielded 10 candidates each, Communist Party of India 2 and Communist Party of India (Marxist-leninist) one.
There are 4 constituencies where more than 16 candidates are in the fray including 17 in Morena, 21 in Gwalior, 17 in Khajuraho and 28 in Bhopal.
Among registered parties, Aam Aadmi Party has fielded 10 candidates, Samajwadi Party 6, Rashtriya Samata Dal 3, All-India Forward Block, Apna Dal, Bahujan Mukti Party, Bharatiya Janyug Party, Bharatiya Shakti Chetna Party, Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) 2
each and one candidate each has been filed by All India Hindu Mahasabha, Al-Hind Party, All India Trinmool Congress, Bahujan Sangharsh Dal, Bharatiya Navyuvak Party, Bharatiya Rashtriya Mazdoor Dal, Vrihattar Prajatantra Sewa Party, Bundelkhand Congress, CPI (M), Red Star, Gondwana Ganatantra Party, Jai Mahabharat Party, Jan-Nyay Dal, loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Mahanwadi Party, Naya Daur Party, Peace Party, Poorvanchal Rashtriya Congress, Prajatantrik Samadhan Party, Protist Sarv Samaj, Rashtriya Ahinsa Manch, Samata Samadhan Party, Samata Vikas Party, Shiv Sena and Social Democratic Party of India.
Maximum 11 independents in the second phase are in Bhopal and minimum one in Bhind followed by 7 in Morena, 6 in Gwalior, 7 in Guna, 4 in Sagar, 6 in Tikamgarh, 5 in Damoh, 5 in Khahuraho and 2 in Rajgarh.A total of 11 woman candidates are in the election fray for these 10 Parliamentary constituencies including maximum 3 each in Bhopal and Bhind, 2 in Gwalior and one each in Sagar, Tikamgarh and Khajuraho.
Indian National Congress has fielded Imarti Devi (Bhind), Samajwadi Party Anita Hitendra Chaudhari (Bhind), Ambesh Kumari Ahirwar (Tikamgarh), Sheeba Malik (Bhopal), AAP’s Krishna Devi (Bhind), Neelam Agrawal (Gwalior), Rachna Dheengra (Bhopal), Al-Hind Party’s Geeta Rajput (Gwalior), Bahujan Samaj Party’s Sushri Saroj Katiyar Kurmi (Sagar), Bundelkhand Congress’s Durga Sharma (Khajuraho) independent candidate Prabhavati Shakya Khot (Bhopal) is in the election fray in Bhopal lok Sabha constituency.
Thus, there is only one woman candidate among 54 independents. Whereas 9 independent woman candidates had contested elections in 2009 lok Sabha elections.