india

Updated: Feb 21, 2019 08:29 IST

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath is set to contest by-election from Chhindwara assembly constituency after the incumbent Congress MLA Deepak Saxena resigned from the seat on Wednesday. Nath is the Lok Sabha MP from Chhindwara.

Saxena, who is close to Kamal Nath had won the Chhindwara assembly seat for the fourth time in the November 2018 elections and also became the protem Speaker in the new Assembly.

Saxena said he had vacated the seat for Kamal Nath, with whom he has been associated for the last four decades. “We want him (Nath) to remain in Chhindwara and that is why I vacated the seat. The by-election will most probably be held along with the coming Lok Sabha elections.”

In the state elections held in November, the Congress had won all the seven assembly constituencies in Chhindwara district. The Congress has 114 lawmakers in the 230-member Assembly while the opposition BJP has 109.

Nath had taken oath as the chief minister of the state on December 17 last year. As per the rules, he has to get elected to the Assembly within six months.

Nath has represented Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat nine times since 1980, except once.