MP bypolls: Nominees down to 45

Bhopal, Feb 22 (UNI) A total of 45 candidates remained in the fray for the March 8 bypolls to two parliamentary constituencies and an assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh as the deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers expired today.

At Gwalior, Ahirwaran Singh Pal (Rashtriya Samanta Dal) and independent Anand Singh Kushwaha withdrew their papers leaving the contest to state Tourism and Sports Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia (Bharatiya Janata Party), Ashok Singh (Congress), Kedar Singh (Bahujan Samaj Party), Munna Goyal (Samajwadi Party) and 20 independents.

In Sidhi (ST), independents Ghanshyam, Tuleshwar Singh and Mahaveer bowed out of the contest today leaving a total of 13 nominees including Kunwar Singh (BJP), Manik Singh (Cong), Heera Singh Markam (Gondwana Ganatantra Party), Patiraj Singh (SP) and Anante Singh (BSP).

At Raisen district's Udaypura vidhan sabha constituency, independents Munnaali and Yogesh Sharma withdrew leaving eight candidates including Shashiprabha Singh (BJP) and Sahib Singh Patel (Cong).

The hustings were necessitated in Sidhi and Gwalior as MPs Chandrapratap Singh (BJP) and Ramsewak Singh Gujjar (Cong) were expelled from Parliament in the cash-for-query scam. Udaypura MLA Rampal Singh, who was the Public Health Engineering Minister, put in his papers after emerging victorious in the Vidisha parliamentary bypoll.

Submiting of nomination papers got underway on February 12.

Counting is scheduled for March 11.

UNI