"Candidates list kept on hold because of Pitru Paksha": Chhattisgarh DyCM

NEW DELHI: Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo said that the first list of candidates for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections was kept on hold because of 'Pitru Paksha' as many members of the Congress party believe in old tradition of the Sanatan Dharma. "The release of the list of candidates was kept on hold till 'Pitru Paksha' because many Congress people had it in mind that they would abide by the old tradition of the Sanatan Dharma. Today Pitru Paksha will be completed and tomorrow the list may be announced," the Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister said on Saturday.

Pitru Paksha is a 16 day period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors, especially through food offerings. This year Pitru Paksha began on September 29 and will end on October 14. "I think there is a possibility that the first list can be released tomorrow," Singh Deo added. His comments came after Congress leader and general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Randeep Surjewala said on Friday that the Congress's first list of candidates for the poll-bound state will be released on the first day of Navratri, October 15.

Speaking about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) calling in leaders from Delhi to be fielded in the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, Singh Deo said, "There are so many shortcomings in BJP's state leadership that they are fielding leaders from Delhi to cover those shortcomings. Shivraj Singh Chouhan should take care of his own house and his own chair."

He further went on to say that there are many chief ministerial candidates in Madhya Pradesh who have come from Delhi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan's chances to stand as CM from his party are bleak. "There are around 10 chief ministerial candidates sent from Delhi. His chances are less," said Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister. In the same breath, he took a swipe at CM Chouhan saying, that the latter was sympathetic about women and Adivasis of the state only after Priyanka Gandhi assured 'guarantees' to the backward class people across the state.

"It was only after Priyanka Gandhi announced her guarantees that Shivraj Singh got sympathetic to women and Adivasis. He did not realise this in his 15 years as Chief Minister and during his three-year term as Chief Minister. Prinyankaji had to come and teach him," Singh Deo said. Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to go to polls on November 17.

The state will elect legislators from 230 constituencies. The election will be conducted in one phase and the votes will be counted on December 3.