Madhya Pradesh

After briefing about the party’s ‘vachan patra’, state Congress president Kamal Nath said: "Maine Digvijaya Singh ji ko power of attorney diya hai ki mere hisse ki gali wo khayenge. (I had given a power of attorney to Digvijaya Singh to bear all abuses on my part. And that power of attorney is valid for today also."

The 59-point manifesto, in which the Congress has tried to woo every section of society, was released in the presence of state unit head Kamal Nath, former Chief Minister Digvijya Singh, former Union Minister Kantilal Bhuria and Rajya Saha MP Vivek Tankha.

The Congress in its first list announced 144 candidates for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, fielding former Chief Minister and state unit chief Kamal Nath from Chhindwara Assembly seat, Dr Govind Singh from Lahar Assembly seat, Digvijaya's Singh son Jaivardhan Singh from Raghogarh Assembly seat. 

The 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly will go to the polls on November 17, while the counting of votes will be taken up on December 3,

Instead, the saffron party has said that it would contest the Assembly elections under collective leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would lead the campaign. In fact, the party has coined the slogan “MP ke man Modi” for the campaign.

The BJP is in power in Madhya Pradesh with Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the Chief Minister while the Congress is ruling in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. In Telegana, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao-led BRS is in the power.

The second list of 39 candidates was released on Monday, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Bhopal.

Addressing mediapersons after addressing a poll rally with former chief minister Digvijaya Singh in Ashok Nagar district, Kamal Nath said: "We all have faith on Sanatan Dharma, but India has diverse culture and religion, and Sanatan Dharma does not teach to disrespect people from other religion." 

The BJP-ruled state government will bear the remaining cost of the gas cylinder starting September 1. The outstanding amount for the gas cylinder will be credited to the accounts of Ladli Behna. An order has been issued by the state government on Wednesday.

In Madhya pradesh, Modi will lay the foundation stone of projects worth more than Rs 50,700 crore.