Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
Bhopal, April 29
Madhya Pradesh is set to witness a direct contest between two main protagonists in the national arena, the BJP and the Congress, in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The entry of BJP’s controversial candidate Sadhvi Pragya Thakur Singh in Bhopal has only made the battle more intense.
The question is whether the polarisation has added to the benefit of a rejuvenated Congress in the heart of the Hindi heartland or worked to the advantage of the BJP, which is waiting in the wings to wrest the state back after General Election, as many believe it is possible if Chief Minister Kamal Nath fails to deliver.
Observers believe it may be the best chance for the Congress to break the saffron hold on Madhya Pradesh, a state also known as the RSS bastion.
However, not all appears to have gone down well for the just formed government of Kamal Nath. Already there are murmurs in the powerful farming community regarding wheat procurement procedure and prices in the rabi season and the promise of farm loan waivers in Assembly elections, all of which the Opposition BJP in the state is making the most of.
But despite all this, it is as good as it can get for the Congress under its seasoned politician Kamal Nath, nine-time MP from Chhindwara, who in these elections has passed the constituency to son Nakul.
Kamal Nath may not be “people’s type of a chief minister” like BJP’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan, but he has the reputation of an efficient administrator. What is also working to his benefit this time is a certain synergy with political rivals like Digvijaya Singh.
Add to it the absence of any “wave” on the ground this time (though some insist an undercurrent exists) and Madhya Pradesh becomes a good example of battle of equals, more than any other state in the country.
Interestingly, despite all these advantages, observers are giving the BJP a better chance, pegging the Congress’ figures in the range of “nine to 10” of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state. In other words, the probability of the BJP touching the figure of 20 (plus/minus two) is more.
Also, the chances of Congress sweeping the state like the BJP had in 2014 are lesser. In the last elections, the BJP had won all but two of the 29 Lok Sabha seats. Later, the Congress won Ratlam in 2015 byelections.
The reason of tilt in favour of the BJP is vote share in the recent Assembly polls. Despite losing, and to an extent because of spoilsport played by some of its own leaders, the BJP polled better percentage of votes-41%, as against Congress’ 40.9%.
But much has also changed here since 2014, which the BJP rode on the “Modi wave” and popularity of “jagat mama” Shivraj Singh Chouhan, its three-time popular chief minister, getting a boost.
An “able administrator and manager of funds”, Nath may not be backed by strength of cadres like the saffron party is, but his party is better placed in MP than anywhere else in the country
Madhya Pradesh has always given the BJP and the Congress some of their top leaders. If the BJP had Vijyaaraje Scindia, Sundarlal Patwa in the past and Uma Bharti and Chouhan now, the Congress had Shyama Charan Shukla, Vidya Charan Shukla, Madhavrao Scindia and Arjun Singh and now Digvijaya Singh, Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia.
When two saffron-robed politicians met
- Pragya Thakur Singh (49), BJP’s Bhopal candidate, was in tears during an emotional meeting with Union Minister Uma Bharti on Monday. The former MP of Bhopal embraced Pragya, kissed her forehead and sought blessings
- “The day didi maa’s (as she called Thakur) candidature was announced, it was decided that the BJP will win with a huge margin,” Bharti told mediapersons with Pragya Thakur by her side
- Uma also spoke about the alleged torture faced by Pragya during her days in jail. “I believe that she is a great saint and patriot because the pain she suffered, no ordinary women will ever be able to handle,” said Uma Bharti Anup Dutta
Tough face-off in Hindi heartland
- Madhya Pradesh is an important battleground as polls enter deciding phase. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity remains, but so do BJP’s local vulnerabilities. The Congress, too, has the advantages and disadvantages of being in power in the state
- Former Chief Minister Chouhan was dislodged amid anger in the agrarian community and ‘swaran jatis’ (upper caste) due the restoration of the provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act by the Modi-led centre
- On some seats there is also anger among incumbents, many of whom the BJP has repeated in these elections. The Congress has no such baggage to carry. But for many, Modi still remains a preferred option as the PM
- In spite of these conflicting signals and paradoxes, it can be safely predicted that the Congress is set to increase its tally from the 2014 elections
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2DzcrNZ
via Today’s News Headlines
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