Cong may not renominate sitting MLAs

The Congress high command is unlikely to renominate party sitting MLAs in the coming Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, but would go by individual cases on the sole criterion of ability to win seats. This was indicated by an AICC official involved in the exercise of screening nominees. While the party will not field persons who got defeated in the last two Assembly polls, it could consider the candidature of the aspirants who had lost the election by a margin of 1,000 votes. The Central leadership is mounting pressure on the leaders like Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath and others to deliver after getting the feedback from each Assembly seat. The electoral battle in the state could be difficult for the BJP whose leader and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is facing the anti-incumbency factor this time. Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is leading the electoral battle from the front, could deliver only if different factions within the Congress cooperate with him sincerely. “The infighting between seniors has given Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states to the BJP on platter for last 10 years,” said the party officials. The Congress will be going alone in these states against the BJP. The Congress’ Central election committee is unlikely to release the list of party nominees in these states before October 15. Meanwhile stung by Mr Narendra Modi’s charge that the UPA was misusing CBI to target political opponents, the Congress on Thursday said it showed the ghost of the 2002 Gujarat riots was haunting him. “It seems the probe into the Gujarat riots is haunting the chief minister... The accomplices who are in jail have started speaking and that may be the reason that he is seeing CBI everywhere. CBI is remembered only by those who are involved in some crime. I do not know whether he is or not,” party spokesman said.