Aatmja Kumari(Intern Journalist): Of the 28 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, 27 were dominated by the Congress party in the 2018 elections but in March last month, Congress MLAs (Congress MLAs) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which led to 25 of the 28 seats here. It became empty. Due to this, the Congress government led by Kamal Nath fell and former Chief Minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chauhan once again took over the reins of the state. Three other seats were lying vacant due to the demise of MLAs. Although this election was to be held in September itself, due to the Coronavirus epidemic, their dates were extended.

The outcome of this by-election rests on the political future of prominent leaders Shivraj Singh Chauhan, former Chief Minister Kamal Nath, and Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. The BJP has 107 seats in the state’s 230-member assembly and has support for 4 independent seats. Apart from this, two are Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs and one Samajwadi Party suspended MLA. The BJP, which wants to form the state government alone, will have to win 9 out of 28 seats. The state assembly currently has 230 members with 202 members. It has 107 BJP MLAs, 88 Congress, two BSP, one SP, and four independent MLAs. In view of this, BJP needs only 9 seats for a majority in the House. At the same time, Congress will have to win 28 seats to come back to power.

Of the 28 seats, 16 falls in the Gwalior-Chambal region. Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Digvijay Singh are trying their luck from here. The issue of ‘caste’ is important in these areas. The main center of Bharat Bandh was in protest against the abolition of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes Act in the year 2018.

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