Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Kamal Nath has almost decided the names of party candidates for those seats where the party is on strong grounds.
Besides, he is making a strategy for those seats where the Congress is on a sticky wicket.
Nath is eyeing on the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in those constituencies where his party is in a difficult situation.
In fact, Nath is waiting for a rebellion by BJP leaders, so that he may bring them to the party and pit them against the BJP candidates in those constituencies.
This formula of the Congress has been successful in 28 by-elections. Ergo, the Congress is waiting for a revolt in the BJP.
For Hatpiplya constituency in Dewas district, the Congress is eyeing on former minister Deepak Joshi. Manoj Choudhary who has defected to the BJP has won this seat. During the by-elections, there were canards that Joshi might join the Congress.
Similarly, the Congress plans to woo the leaders like Mudit Shejwar from Sanchi and Anoop Mishra from Gwalior.
In the same way, the Congress may persuade Siddharth Malaiya from Pathria in Damoh district to join the party.
If the BJP denies ticket to any leader on the grounds of age of other criteria, the Congress may try to bring their relatives of those politicians to the party.
The party is taking the feedback on the leaders like Abhishek Bhargava from Rehli and Mausam Bisen from Balaghat.
Those BJP leaders who may not get tickets may get closer to the Congress. In the by-elections, the Congress won nine seats out of 28. Three of the nine candidates, who won by-elections on Congress tickets, were from the BJP. They are Satish Sikarwar from Gwalior east, Ajab Singh Kushwaha from Sumawali and Suresh Raje from Dabra.
A senior leader of the Congress said that only strong candidates would be given tickets.
According to him, if someone wants to join the Congress, the party will take a decision on the grounds of political conditions. But it is true that several BJP leaders are keen to join the Congress, he said.
