Bhopal, Oct 9 : Soon after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced November 17 as the date for Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, state Congress president Kamal Nath on Monday appealed to the party workers to get ready for yet another poll battle. The veteran Congress leader asked party workers to start their preparations for the elections keeping the future of Madhya Pradesh in their mind. He also urged the people of the state to support the Congress. In a social media post, Kamal Nath stated that the people of Madhya Pradesh have been waiting for this date (polling date) for the past many years. On November 17, he said, the people would give a befitting reply to those who disobeyed the public mandate and toppled the Congress government. "The people have been waiting for this date (November 17) for the past many years. This will be a day to teach a lesson to those who hijacked democracy and restore the rule of truth," Kamal Nath said. He was referring to the March 2020 incident when his government was toppled after 22 MLAs switched over to the BJP. Notably, in the last Assembly elections, the Congress led by Kamal Nath had won 114 seats against the BJP's 109. The Congress had formed the government with the help of independent MLAs, however, Kamal Nath' government was toppled within the next 15 months. Now, the BJP and the Congress are once again ready to take on each other to grab the power in the state. While the ruling BJP has so far announced its 79 candidates for 230 Assembly seats, the Congress has yet to announce its list and is likely to release the list soon. According to the ECI, the process for the elections will begin with the issue of notification on October 13. The last date of nomination for the candidate will be on October 20. Their candidature will be scrutinised on October 21. As per the rules of the election commission, candidates can withdraw their candidature by October 23, while the results of the elections will be announced on December 3 along with four other states ' Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram. /IANS