As Madhya Pradesh goes to polls today for the crucial Assembly elections, the main battle is between the Congress and the BJP. Many prominent leaders of both parties, including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and State Congress Chief Kamal Nath, are in the fray.
Here’s a look at the key battlegrounds that will shape the state’s political landscape.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been fielded by his party from Budhni assembly constituency. The Congress has pitted actor Vikram Mastal against him. The 40-year-old played the role of ‘Hanuman’ in the 2008 TV series ‘Ramayan 2’.
In Chhindwara assembly constituency, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath is contesting from his own turf against BJP’s Vivek Bunty Sahu, former Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president for Chhindwara district.
Kamal Nath won the Chhindwara by-election in 2019 by defeating BJP’s Sahu by a margin of 25,837 votes. Kamal Nath’s tenure as chief minister ended in March 2020 following the rebellion of his party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia, which led to Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s government returning to power in the state.
Jaivardhan Singh, son of former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, is contesting from his “family” stronghold, Raghogarh constituency. However, with Jyotiraditya Scindia joining the BJP camp, the contest may get complicated.