The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced Narayan Tripathi as its candidate for the coming Maihar Assembly by-election.
Tripathi is expected to file his nomination papers in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and State BJP chief Nandkumar Singh Chouhan on Wednesday, which is the last day for filing nominations. Nominations could be withdrawn byJanuary 30.
Party sources said Tripathi was declared the candidate after a meeting of the State election committee.
The by-poll was necessitated as Tripathi who was the sitting legislator, resigned after he left the Congress and joined the BJP. Tripathi had earlier contested as a Samajwadi Party candidate before joining the Congress. On the other hand, the Congress has declared Manish Patel as its candidate. Patel had left the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to join the Congress.
Patel on Monday filed his nomination. Patel, who contested the 2013 Assembly election from Maihar as BSP candidate, joined the Congress after the by-election was announced. He filed his nomination this afternoon in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Congress (MPCC) president Arun Yadav, State Assembly Deputy Speaker Rajendra Kumar Singh, former leader of the Opposition Ajay Singh and Congress legislator Sunderlal Tiwari.
Patel's two family members — lalji Patel and Mathura Patel — had earlier served as Congress legislators. The bypoll was necessitated as Tripathi, who was the sitting legislator, resigned after he left the Congress and joined the BJP.
Polling will be held in Maihar on February 13. Counting will take place on February 16. last date of filing nomination is January 27. Nominations could be withdrawn by January 30.