WATCH: Here's Digvijaya Singh's first response to BJP fielding Sadhvi Pragya against him for the Bhopal Lok Sabha election

Responding on the BJP fielding Sadhvi Pragya from Bhopal constituency of Madhya Pradesh against him, Congress veteran and former CM of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh has said that he welcomes her in the constituency and hopes that she will like the calm environment of the city. 

Taking to Twitter just hours after the BJP formally announced that Sadhvi Pragya will contest from the Bhopal seat, he said:

"I welcome Sadhvi Pragya ji in Bhopal. I hope that she will like the calm, posh and civilized environment of this city. I will pray to Ma Narmada for her and seek blessings so that we all may walk on the path of truth, non-violence and duty."

मैं साध्वी प्रज्ञा जी का भोपाल में स्वागत करता हूँ। आशा करता हूँ कि इस रमणीय शहर का शांत, शिक्षित और सभ्य वातावरण आपको पसंद आएगा।
मैं माँ नर्मदा से साध्वी जी के लिए प्रार्थना करता हूँ और नर्मदा जी से आशीर्वाद माँगता हूँ कि हम सब सत्य, अहिंसा और धर्म की राह पर चल सकें।
नर्मदे हर! pic.twitter.com/LYAbpTObgY

— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28)

Congress had earlier announced that its veteran Digvijaya Singh, who has been CM of Madhya Pradesh, would be contesting from Bhopal, following which BJP has made its own announcement. Singh is contesting an election after a gap of almost 19 years, the last being the assembly election he contested in 2003. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2014 from MP. 

The BJP has consistently been winning the seat of Bhopal since 1989. BJP's Alok Sanjar is the sitting MP from the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat. Singh is contesting an election after a gap of almost 19 years, the last being the assembly election he contested in 2003.

While interacting to media, Sadhvi said: 

"For me, the national cause will be foremost. I will definitely contest the elections and will also win the election. I came to meet all the leaders in the BJP office in Madhya Pradesh. Everybody is enthusiastic and positive that we will together fight against the elements who conspires against the nation. If the country is safe, we are safe and we are safe then work can be done."

Sadhvi Pragya is an accused in the September 2008 Malegaon blast case, over which the Congress party, including Digvijaya Singh, had infamously coined the 'Hindu terror' bogey. She is currently out on bail.