Lok Sabha polls: Cong to gain in Madhya Pradesh, but BJP still has the edge

Factionalism returns to haunt the grand old party; many saffron MPs look to change constituencies

After a closely contested Assembly election last year, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are gearing up for another face-off in Madhya Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. 

The Congress, which returned to power in the state after 15 years, was expected to consolidate its position. But infighting has returned to haunt the party. Also, the perception that the state government has underperformed and the announcement of the model code of conduct, which forced it to hold back the crop loan waiver scheme, have done the party no good.

In 2014, the Congress had managed to win only two