With Mahajan opting out, several names in contention for BJP

With sitting MP Sumitra Mahajan declaring that she would not contest the election, several names are doing rounds as her possible successor as BJP candidate from Indore.

It includes local MLA and city mayor Malini Singh Gaud, former MP Krishna Murari Moghe and BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.

MLAs Ramesh Mendola and Usha Thakur, former MLA Bhanwar Singh Shekhwat and former Indore Development Authority chairman Shanker Lalwani could also be in the race, BJP sources said.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel called on Mahajan Friday evening. Sources close to Mahajan described it as a mere courtesy call.

Earlier in the day, with the BJP appearing to be in a dilemma over fielding her, Mahajan, eight-time MP from Indore, said she will not contest the polls so that the party could freely pick a candidate of its choice.

Mahajan, born in Maharashtra and married into an Indore family, made her Lok Sabha debut in 1989 by defeating Congress heavyweight Prakash Chandra Sethi.

During the campaign, Mahajan had said she being the "daughter-in-law" of Indore, Sethi should hand over the "keys" to her.

It would be interesting to see who in the BJP gets a shot at bagging the keys thirty years later.