Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on march 16 said if party colleague Digvijaya Singh wants to contest upcoming Lok Sabha polls, he should choose the “toughest seat” in the State.
While Mr. Nath did not mention any seat in particular, he said there were “2-3-4 seats” in M.P. which the Congress had not won in the past “30-35” years.
Mr. Singh, a former Chief Minister and Lok Sabha MP, is currently a Rajya Sabha member.
“I have requested Digvijaya Singh that if he wants to contest Lok Sabha polls, then he should do so from the toughest seat. There are 2-3-4 seats from where we have not won elections since the last 30-35 years,” Mr. Nath told reporters in Chhindwara.
Congress functionaries said he may have been referring to Bhopal and Indore Lok Sabha seats, both of which have been held by the BJP since 1989.
Congress sources said Mr. Nath is keen that Mr. Singh contest from Bhopal. Former President late Shankar Dayal Sharma was the last Congress winner from the seat in the 1984 general elections.
Mr. Nath, in reply to a query, however, said it was for Mr. Singh to decide from where he wants to contest.
Mr. Nath, who is a nine-time MP from Chhindwara, is fighting an Assembly bypoll from Chhindwara scheduled for April 23.