Three union ministers feature in BJP's second list of 39 candidates for Madhya Pradesh polls

The new list was announced hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a massive gathering of BJP workers in Bhopal.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has been fielded from Dimani, Prahlad Patel (Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti) from Narsingpur, and Faggan Singh Kulaste (Minister of State for Rural Development and Steel) from Niwas seat.

The saffron party is yet to announce the name of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya has also been included in the 39-candidate list. He will contest from Indore-1 seat.

His inclusion has ended any possibility of his son Akash getting a ticket.

According to reports, the central leadership is upset with Akash over a 2019 incident when he attacked a civic body official in Indore with a cricket bat.

Three party MPs - Uday Pratap Singh, Riti Pathak, and Ganesh Singh - are also part of the second list and will contest from Gadarwara, Sidhi, and Satna respectively.

The BJP might use the same formula of naming Union Ministers and MPs in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan - both ruled by Congress - as well.

Madhya Pradesh is one of five states, along with Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram, which are scheduled to go to poll later this year. Only one of these states has a BJP government.