Two years after coming to power for the second consecutive term in Madhya Pradesh, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is ready for another trial of strength with the main Opposition Congress in the byelections that may be announced soon to fill three vacant state Assembly seats — Kukshi, Maheshwar and Sonkatch.
All the three seats were earlier held by the Congress. The Kuskhi (ST) seat in Dhar district fell vacant on the demise of Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jamuna Devi.
The Maheshwar (SC) seat is lying vacant due to the resignation of Vijaylaxmi Sadho on her election to the Rajya Sabha this year.
The third Assembly seat of Sonkatch (SC) was vacated by the then Congress legislator Sajjan Singh Verma on his election to the Lok Sabha in 2009.
Sources in the office of the state chief electoral officer told this newspaper on Wednesday that at present only the Kukshi seat is clear for holding a byelection. Regarding Maheshwar and Sonkatch, he said that they are awaiting a report from the registrar Jabalpur high court as election petitions had been filed challenging the 2008 poll verdict for both these constituencies. State election office sources went on to inform that even after these petitions are disposed of by the high court, the Election Commission will have to wait for another 45 days, which is the time limit for filing review petitions in the top court before announcing the MP byelections.
The sources further informed that they are currently busy giving final shape to the voters’ list scheduled to be published on January 5. Thereafter they would be busy attending to objections and this would be followed by Voter Day to be observed on January 25. Official spokesmen of the BJP and the Congress said the petitions challenging the 2008 Maheshwar and Sonkatch election results have already been disposed of.