Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released the second list of 39 candidates consisting of four cabinet ministers including Prahlad Singh Patel, Narendra Singh Tomar, from Dimani and Narsingpur constituency respectively, for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

BJP releases the second list of 39 candidates for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh elections. pic.twitter.com/jEWLNdVaSn

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Apart from this, Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste will be contesting from the Niwas constituency. Notably, the party’s national general secretary, Kailash Vijayvargiya, will be contesting from the Indore-1 seat.

This diverse list of candidates includes six women, ten candidates from Scheduled Tribes, and four from the Scheduled Castes category.

The BJP had previously released its first list of candidates in August, and the state of Madhya Pradesh, where the party currently holds power, is expected to witness intense electoral battles between the BJP and the Congress, according to ground reports and surveys.

BJP’s Strategic Move in Madhya Pradesh Elections

The BJP is making a strategic move in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly polls by fielding several Union ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs). This move not only raises the stakes for the elections but also underscores the party’s determined bid to retain power in the state despite facing a strong challenge from the Congress.

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Many of the BJP’s candidates in this election have a track record of winning Lok Sabha seats for multiple terms, which adds to the party’s formidable lineup. With the release of its second list, the BJP has now named candidates for 78 out of the 230 assembly seats that will be contested in the upcoming election, expected to take place in November-December. This follows the party’s first list of 39 candidates that was released last month. While the election schedule is yet to be announced, both major parties are gearing up for a competitive battle.

In the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress secured victory by winning 114 seats, while the BJP closely followed with 109 seats. However, the Congress government fell after some of its MLAs joined the BJP, leading to the latter’s return to power in March 2020, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan taking the helm as chief minister for another term.