Bypolls crucial to Congress survival in MP, UP, Gujarat

New Delhi: Ahead of polling in bye-elections in the states the polls have become crucial for the Congress in three states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

In Madhya Pradesh, at stake is the state government where the Congress trying to make a comeback but the bypolls in Gujarat and UP are no less important.

The Congress in MP has to win all the 28 seats in the bypolls to make a comeback in the state while Kamal Nath is hopeful and in his campaigns he has been referred as future CM his government fell because of rebellion of Jyotiraditya Scindia who led a revolt in March.

The Congress will need to bag all the 28 seats to again get a majority in the Assembly, which is a tough task. On the other hand, the ruling BJP needs only nine seats to reach the magic figure of 116 for a simple majority. In case the Congress wins less than 28 seats but manages around 24, it will still be in the game.

In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the BJP has 107 MLAs, Congress 88, BSP 2, SP 1 while 4 are Independents. Voting will take place on November 3 while the results will be declared on November 10.

The seriousness of Gujarat bypolls is that Congress is still alleging that MLAs were bought and showed videos of an alleged conversation of the MLA.

In Gujarat the party is not in race to form government but the election is crucial to gauge the mood of the voters as it may be last by polls before Assembly polls.

The same situation is in UP which is slated for polls in early 2022 as on the 7 seats going for polls six are being held by BJP while one seat was with SP however Congress has nothing to lose but the party has high hopes to open its account in the bypolls. The Deoria seat is home of state President Ajay Kumar Lallu and results will have impact on him as he has spearheaded Congress agitations in the state.

Congress is hoping to win Bangarmau in Unnao but exit of former MP Annu Tandon and joining SP may prove costly for Congress. Another seat on which Congress is in the contest is Ghatampur. The polls are in the backdrop of Hathras case where the Congress has been on forefront of the agitation.