Congress today announced the candidature of former MLA Pratap Singh Uike for the Ghodadongri (ST) Assembly seat bypoll.
Uike will be pitted against BJP's Mangal Singh Dhurve in the by-election scheduled to held on May 30.
"Congress President Sonia Gandhi has approved the candidature of Pratap Singh Uike, ex-MLA as the party candidate for the ensuing by-election to the Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh from Ghodadongri ST constituency," a letter issued by Congress General Secretary Madhusudan Mistry said.
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Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh BJP declared Mangal Singh Dhurve as its candidate for the by-polls.
BJP's state election committee yesterday zeroed on three names -- Dhurve, former MLA Gitabai Uikey and Gangabai Uikey for the by-poll and authorised Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Nandkumar Singh Chouhan to announce the final name.
"The party has decided to field Mangal Singh as its candidate for the Ghodadongri by-poll," Chouhan said.
The by-poll was necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MLA Sajjan Singh Uikey. Gangabai is the wife of the deceased legislator.
Though the committee included Gangabai in the panel, it finally zeroed in on Dhurve as he is politically more active than her, party sources said.
While the last date for filing nomination for the by-poll is May 13, the last date for withdrawal of candidature is May 16 and the counting of votes will take place on June 2.
