Summary:
Out of the eight assembly seats, three are with the Congress – Bhopal (North), Bhopal (Central) and Bhopal (South-West). BJP national vice-president Prabhat Jha told TOI, “The challenge is for Digvijaya Singh to win from Bhopal, as even Congress knows that he cannot win. Four years later, Bharti as chief ministerial candidate for BJP in 2003 assembly election reduced the Digvijaya Singh Congress government to just a 38-member opposition in a House of230. Two of these seats are represented by ministers who are Digvijaya aides – PC Sharma and Arif Aqueel. BJP is also alarmed that some of its influential but disgruntled leaders, like former CM Babulal Gaur are known to be close to Singh..