india

Updated: Sep 30, 2019 11:24 IST

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday decided to field Bhanu Bhuria against Congress veteran Kantilal Bhuria in the by-poll to Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua assembly seat, which is expected to see a lot of political fireworks in the coming days given its importance.

Bhanu Bhuria, 37, and 69-year-old Kantilal Bhuria, as per their parties, will file their nomination papers on Monday on the last date for filing the papers.

Polling will take place on October 21 and counting on October 24.

If the Congress manages to snatch the seat from the BJP it may prove a major setback to the opposition BJP.

The BJP has been accusing the government of being in minority in the state assembly since Congress with 114 MLAs formed its government in December last year with the support of seven MLAs including four Independent, two BSP and one SP MLAs.

In the 230-member state assembly, the required majority mark is 116.

Chief minister Kamal Nath is likely to be in Jhabua to lead the party’s workers and boost their morale, along with a good number of ministers, on Monday.

Top BJP leaders from the state, including president of its Madhya Pradesh unit Rakesh Singh, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and leader Opposition Gopal Bhargava will accompany Bhanu Bhuria as he goes to file his nomination papers.

Kantilal Bhuria has been a member of Parliament for five terms and a minister in the UPA-2 government. He was also a member of the state assembly from 1980 to 1997 and a minister in the then Digvijaya Singh government.

Kantilal Bhuria lost the Lok Sabha election this year on Congress ticket from Ratlam parliamentary constituency (known as Jhabua seat prior to delimitation in 2008) to the BJP’s GS Damor.

Damor had earlier defeated Kantilal Bhuria’s son Dr Vikrant Bhuria in the state assembly elections held in November last year. The Jhabua assembly seat fell vacant after Damor’s election to the Lok Sabha.

Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha’s (BJYM) Jhabua unit president Bhanu Bhuria is contesting the state assembly election for the first time. He comes from a political family and his father Balu Bhuria has been a local Congress leader.

Chief of the BJP’s state unit Rakesh Singh expressed confidence Bhanu Bhuria will win the election.

“The BJP will retain its seat as every section of society is disappointed with the state government whether it’s farmers or it’s youths or any other section of society,” Rakesh Singh said on Sunday.

Congress’ state spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta also sounded sure of his party’s victory.

“Infighting in the BJP was apparent as BJP could announce its candidate’s name on the eve of the last date for filing the nomination papers. But Congress will win the by-poll on its own strength and ensure the overall development of Jhabua,” Bhupendra Gupta said.