Bhopal, Jan 31 (IANS) Both Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, the two main political parties in Madhya Pradesh, have chosen to field family members of the leaders of their respective parties in the Feb 14 by-polls in Kukshi and Sonkatch constituencies.
Kukshi seat fell vacant after veteran leader Jamua Devi died in September last year. Devi who was also leader of opposition was first elected to the assembly in 1952. She was elected as MLA for the sixth time in 2008 from Kukshi.
The Sonkatch seat fell vacant because MLA Sajjan Singh Verma was elected to the Lok Sabha.
Both seats belong to the Congress party and the BJP is trying hard to win them and increase its tally in the party-ruled state.
The BJP has been ruling the state since 2003 before which the Congress ruled for ten years continuously. Of the 230 assembly seats, a major share – 144 MLAs – is with the BJP, while Congress has 69 and Bahujan Samaj Party has got five MLAs.
The Congress nominee from Kukshi is Jamuna Devi’s niece, Nisha Singar; while its candidate from Sonkatch is Arjun Verma, nephew of MP Sajjan Singh Verma.
The BJP has given its ticket to Mukam Singh Kirade in Kukshi, the husband of state Minister for Women and Child Development, Ranjana Baghel.
Its candidate at Sonkatch is Rajendra Verma, son of former MP, Phoolchand Verma.
