Raisen(MP), Mar 5 (UNI) The ruling BJP is making a strong bid to retain the Udaypura Assembly seat, which was once represented by Mrs Vimala Sharma, wife of former President late Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma.

Ms Uma Bharti-led Bharatiya Jan Shakti has not fielded its candidate paving an easy sailing for BJP nominee Mrs Shashi Prabha Singh, wife of BJP MP from Vidisha Rampal Singh.

The seat fell vacant after Mr Rampal Singh, who held Public Health Engineering portfolio in Shivraj Singh Chouhan ministry, resigned following his election to the Lok Sabha from Vidisha which was vacated by Mr Chouhan on becoming Chief Minister.

Eight candidates are in the fray though the main contest is between Congress and BJP. Union Minister Suresh Pachouri-loyalist Sahib Singh Patel is Congress candidate.

Besides Mr Rampal Singh, half a dozen state ministers have also stayed put in in this rural constituency. With farm work at its peak and harvest season approaching, farmers seemed to be least interested in electioneering.

A total of 1,61,056 electorate are scheduled to exercise their franchise in 186 polling booths, of which 129 were declared sensitive.

District Collector Arun Kumar Bhatt said arrangements for the byelection were complete. Four companies of CRPF and other para-military forces would be deployed to ensure free and fair polling, while preventive action was taken against 219 people.

Votes polled on March 8 will be counted here on March 11.

With the Election Commission keeping a close watch, political parties and candidates were desisting from lavish spending and concentrating on direct contact with voters.

Udaypura seat, which came into existence in 1977, was earlier bagged by BJP 5 times and Congress and Janata Party one each. Mrs Vimala Sharma won the seat in 1985.

UNI