By Amresh Kr Srivastava
Bhopal, Nov 14 (UNI) As the state goes to polls on November 28,  rebel candidates  pose a major  worry for   both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress.

Sources say that in a high stake battle between the Congress and the BJP for the 230 assembly seats,  rebels could spoil the  prospects of the  winning candidates
in at least 38 seats.
The sources in the Congress party say that the Congress’ dissidents can alter the winning equation in the  Malwa- Nimad and Gwalior region.

The  BJP too is facing the heat from the` rebel candidates in many constituencies like Govindpura, Beresia and Huzoor where they are likely to make the going tough for the party’s nominees, sources said.
Prominent  BJP rebels who are in the fray in  this election are Ramkrishna Kusumari, five-time MP and a powerful leader from the backward Bundelkhand region, who has filed his nomination papers from two Assembly seats, Damoh and Patharia, as an Independent candidate.
Former MP finance minister and  RSS ideologue Raghavji Bhai is in  fray on a SAPAKS (Samanya Pichra Alpsankhyak Kalyan Samaj) ticket from Shashabad in Vidisha district. Sources say that  he is annoyed with his party for not giving a ticket to his daughter Jyoti Shah.
Similarly, BJP  sitting MLA  and party nominee for Beresia seat in Bhopal rural Vishnu Khatre is facing the same challenge fron his party colleague and former MLA Brahmanand Ratnakar.
BJP is also facing a challenge  from the Huzoor seat of Bhopal rural due to presence in the fray of BJP councilor Shyam Meena.
A source in BJP told UNI that Anti-incumbency and caste equations are major strengths of the BJP rebels
Congress also faces a tough fight in the Rajnagar seat in Bundelkhand region with  senior Congress leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi' angry over the party having denied ticket to his son  Nitin from  the seat.
Nitin is now contesting as a Samajwadi Party candidate.
The Congress also faces a tough fight from Gwalior Rural seat with  Sahab Singh Gurjar  contesting from the seat  after the Congress refused him a ticket.
What has added to the worry of the Congress and BJP is that the rebels in these parties have till now refused
to withdraw their nominations.
Both Congress and BJP are, however, hopeful that they will be able to convince these rebels  to withdraw their candidature.
Reacting to the present crisis state BJP Spokesperson Rajnish Aggrawal said that the situation will be resolved by  Wednesday which is the last day for withdrawing the nomination.
'We are like a family and our senior leaders are in constant touch with those who are fighting elections against the party's nominees and they going to withdraw from the race,' Mr Agrawal told UNI.
  
Madhya Pradesh state Congress Spokesperson Shobha Oza is equally hopeful that Congress rebels will also toe in with party’s decision and withdraw their candidature well in time.
'Our leaders have personally spoken to the rebel candidates and assured them that the party will take care of them. Rebel candidates mostly stood up against the official nominee where there was a close contest for the ticket. Many of them have withdrawn their nomination and rest of them will withdraw on Wednesday,' Ms Oza told UNI.
MP Congress chief Kamal Nath, senior party leaders like Digvijay Singh and Jyotriraditya Scindia, leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ajay Singh are also trying to ensure that the party's official candidates do not have face the heat.
The state goes to polls on November 28.
UNI AKS AR 0904