MP votes for nine Lok Sabha seats in first phase

Voting in nine out of the 29 Parliamentary constituencies in Madhya Pradesh began today with high-profile contenders like Union Minister Kamal Nath in the fray.
The constituencies where polling is underway in the first phase are Chhindwara, Mandla (ST), Balaghat, Rewa, Sidhi, Satna, Jabalpur, Shahdol (ST) and Hoshangabad.
Prominent among those contesting in this phase are Union minister and Congress stalwart Nath and late Arjun Singh's son and MLA Ajay.
While incumbent Nath is pitted against Choudhary Chandrabhan Singh of BJP in Chhindwara, Ajay Singh is taking on sitting BJP MP Ganesh Singh from Satna seat.
Other key contestants include former Attorney-general of Madhya Pradesh, Vivek Tankha, who is in the race as a Congress nominee from Jabalpur constituency where he is battling sitting MP Rakesh Singh of the BJP.

Voting will be held at 16,592 polling stations across these nine seats with 118 candidates in the fray.
In 2009 general elections, out of these 9 seats, the BJP had won six seats and the Congress was victorious on three.
Polling for the rest 20 constituencies in MP will be held on April 17 and 24.