The campaigning for the November 21 by-elections to Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha constituency and Dewas Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh ended today.
In Ratlam-Jhabua, a tough fight between the opposition Congress and the ruling BJP is on cards, while at Dewas, BJP's Gayatri Raja Puar may have an easy victory.
The by-elections were necessitated by the death of BJP MP from Ratlam-Jhabua Dilip Singh Bhuria and the BJP MLA from Dewas Tukojirao Puar.
To encash sympathy, BJP has given ticket to Dilip Singh Bhuria's daughter Nirmala Bhuria, a five-time MLA, in Ratlam-Jhabua, and to Tukojirao Puar's wife Gayatri Raja Puar in Dewas.
Congress has given ticket to the veteran leader Kantilal Bhuria, a former Union Minister and a four-time MP, in Ratlam-Jhabua. In Dewas its candidate is the young Jayprakash Shastri.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, his cabinet colleagues Narottam Mishra, Bupendra Singh and Gaurishanker Shejwar and senior BJP leaders Nandkumar Chauhan and Arvind Menon have campaigned for the ruling party.
On the Congress's side, state unit President Arun Yadav, AICC General Secretary and Madhya Pradesh In-charge Mohan Prakash, former Leader of Opposition in Assembly Ajay Singh and state Congress Vice President Rameshwar Neekhra took part in the campaigning.
