Bhopal, July 26 (IANS): Madhya Pradesh Congress on Friday copied the ‘tiffin’ concept of the BJP, an idea to sink differences and develop bonhomie among the party workers, ahead of bypolls in the state.

On Friday, MP Congress Chief Jitendra Patwari held a “tiffin meeting” with party workers in the Budhni Assembly segment, which will go for bypolls as former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who represented the constituency for several terms, has resigned after taking oath as the Union Minister on June 17.

The meeting was held in the Salkanpur segment of Budhani assembly seat and the party workers were asked to come with a ‘tiffin’ from their homes. Sources told IANS that the concept was utilised to create a friendly atmosphere and to boost the confidence of party workers ahead of the bypolls.

Patwari had lunch with party workers sitting on the ground and held a “healthy” conversation with them.

“Congress would fight the bypolls in Budhni like in panchayat election. We would field a candidate from the local party workers,” Patwari said after the ‘tiffin’ meeting with booth workers in Budhni.

However, giving a fight to the BJP in Budhni will be an uphill task after Congress’ back-to-back defeats.

Sources told IANS that party workers are also upset as the party has often neglected local workers and fielded a parachute candidate.

In the last Assembly election, Vikram Mastal, who played Hanuman in the 2008 Ramayan, was fielded against Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Chouhan had won the Budhni assembly seat with a margin of over 1.5 lakh votes in November last year.

The date for the bypolls in Budhni and two other assembly seats - Vijaypur and Boina are yet to be announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI).