Sonia to choose nominees for MP bypolls

Bhopal, Oct 4 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh Congress Election Committee today unanimously authorised party president Sonia Gandhi to select candidates for the October 30 bypolls to the Vidisha Lok Sabha and Malehra assembly constituencies.

The meeting, at the Congress' local office, was chaired by state supremo Subhash Yadav.

A proposal, by former minister Aziz Qureshi, was accepted. It said that in view of the endeavour by late Madhavrao Scindia to develop Vidisha, his parliamentarian son Jyotiraditya Scindia be made the chief campaigner.

''Mr Jyotiraditya Scindia ought to be bestowed the responsibility of the election campaign under the guidance of seniors Arjun Singh, Digvijay Singh and Kamal Nath,'' said Mr Qureshi.

The names of All-India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Digvijay Singh, late Madhavrao's wife Madhavi Raje Scindia and a few other leaders emerged in the context of the Vidisha byelection. It is believed that Mr Singh and Ms Scindia do not want to contest.

Among those present were Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kantilal Bhuria, Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Jamuna Devi and General Secretary Narmada Prasad Sharma.

Observer G P Agrawal, appointed by the AICC, will reach Vidisha on October 7. Party sources said he would conduct discuss with office-bearers and people's representatives that very day.

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