Khandwa Lok Sabha bypoll: Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Arun Yadav opts out of fray

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After opting out of the Khandwa Lok Sabha bypoll fray, senior Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Arun Yadav on Monday said the party must give the ticket to a young and dedicated leader.

The bypoll necessitated due to the death of BJP MP Nandkumar Singh Chauhan, will take place on October 30.

"I have taken my candidature back from the Khandwa Lok Sabha seat due to personal and family reasons. I express gratitude towards Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders for giving me the opportunity to contest elections from Khandwa seat four times and also for appointing me to several important positions,” Yadav told reporters.

"The party ticket should be given to a young and dedicated leader. We will work with full dedication and honesty to ensure his victory so that we can prepare effectively for the 2023 Assembly polls in the state," he added.

Yadav said he will continue to take part in the organizational activities for the Khandwa LS bypoll and ensure the Congress wins handsomely. Meanwhile, political analysts termed Yadav's refusal to contest the Lok Sabha bypoll as a major strategic step against his opponents in the party.

Yadav was active in the Khandwa Lok Sabha constituency for the last six months and his candidature was being considered the strongest in the party, and sources said, after the announcement of the bypoll date, he had visited Delhi twice in the last four days and met senior leaders.

Incidentally, Burhanpur's Independent MLA Surendra Singh Shera had recently sought the Khandwa bypoll ticket for his wife Jaishri Thakur, thus challenging the candidature of Yadav. 

Burhanpur is part of the Khandwa Lok Sabha seat. The Rajput community traditionally plays an important role in polls in the Khandwa region. 

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