Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
Morena, May 7
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati could play kingmaker, even king — if some of her recent statements are decoded — in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but in these parts of Madhya Pradesh that adjoin Uttar Pradesh, her party appears to have been reduced to the status of a pawn.
In these parts, her core vote bank is considered to be the deciding factor. The two key players, BJP and Congress , are using it to their advantage.
In Morena, the only constituency with a visible third angle in form of BSP’s Kartar Singh Bhadana, people allege that he has been “propped up” by Union Minister and BJP candidate Narendra Singh Tomar to “spoil the Congress’ chances”.
In Guna, BSP candidate Lokendra Singh Rajput has already switched allegiance to Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, still considered the ‘maharaj’/’shrimant’.
A few km away from Gwalior is Morena from the ‘\Ibeehads’,\I the famous ravines of Chambal, begin. At one time, the stark rumbling brown landscape with mud hillocks and dry shrubs used to be the abode of dacoits. Today, there are no dacoits in Chambal, but casteism that provided the breeding ground for ‘baaghis’ (rebels) is as strong as ever.
In Morena, Congress supporters believe Tomar, who “ran away from Gwalior to the safety of Morena” is behind the fielding of Badhana by the BSP. Tomar, BJP’s sitting MP from Gwalior, is contesting from Morena this time.
Interestingly, the BSP suddenly replaced its original candidate Ramlakhan Singh, a Thakur who had been campaigning for many days and had the potential to spoil the chances of Tomar, also a Thakur, with Badhana, a Gujjar and a rich businessman. Apparently, Badhana belongs to a category of Gujjars dominant in this region.
Ramlakhan Singh had represented the adjoining Bhind Lok Sabha seat four times on BJP ticket. Two Thakur candidates in the fray in Morena would have divided the 2.5-lakh votes. Now, the division will take place between two OBC candidates -- Congress’ Ramniwas Rawat and Bhadana, so believes the BJP.
According to Sanjay Dandotia, a resident of nearby Chonda village, and his friend Anil Kumar, who dispenses medicines and daily need items from his shop on the edge of the village, there are “no issues, loan waiver, farmers or anything else but only ‘jaativaad’(caste politics). It all depends on the way the Dalits and Gujjars vote. If they vote for the Congress, Rawat will win and if Gujjars vote for Bhadana, Tomar will win.”
The Dalits and Gujjars know well that they are being used as spoilers. As per a municipal corporation employee in Morena who did not wish to be identified, one should not be surprised if the “Jatavs (Dalits) and the Gujjars both go with the Congress”.
Standing at a ‘pan’ shop on MS Road, the main road in Morena where hoardings of Bhadana outnumber that of the BJP and Congress, he says the BSP candidate is “running a strong campaign with his resources and support from the BJP”. But then, Tomar is a strong leader and people in this region, with large representation in the armed forces, are also not averse to PM Modi’s nationalist image.
Meanwhile in Guna, the almost “in seat” for Scindia in his stronghold, BSP candidate Lokendra Singh Rajput has already switched allegiance to him.
The BSP is supporting the Kamal Nath government in the state. Mayawati has warned of dire consequences and also that she would campaign for the BSP in Guna, but none of these has happened so far. The BJP leaders claim that the situation is being “managed” by the Congress.
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2LvvCPa
via Today’s News Headlines
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