Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
Bhopal April 30
It cannot get any more exciting for voters in Bhopal, one of the most keenly observed constituencies in the country along with Benaras and Begusaria.
After Congress’ Bhopal candidate Digvijay Singh declared that CPI contestant from Begusarai Kanhaiya Kumar would be campaigning for him in Bhopal, the ‘sadhu samaj’ too landed in the city to lend him support with seer Mahamandleshwar Viaragyanand Giri of Panchayati Sri Niranjani Akhara announcing a ‘havan’ with 5.5 quintals of chilli for his electoral success.
Meanwhile, his rival, the controversial Sadhvi Pragya Thakur Singh, whose “I cursed Karkare” remark left many red-faced, has been reaching out to BJP leaders. A day after her emotional union with Union Minister Uma Bharti, the BJP’s original sadhvi, Pragya today had Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan visiting her.
Mahajan has been quoted as saying; “Karkare became a martyr because he died in the line of duty. But if his role as a police officer was not correct, we will say it was not correct.”
Bhopal is awaiting the arrival of Kanhaiya Kumar, who Digvijay said would be campaigning for him on May 8 and 9. Blaming the BJP and the RSS for “defaming” the JNU leader, has been quoted as saying: “I am an admirer of Kanhaiya Kumar. He has become an ideologue. I openly support him. I told my party that the RJD has made a big mistake by fielding its candidate in Begusarai. This seat should have been allotted to the CPI.”
On the ‘ sadhu samaj’ support to Digvijay, BJP leader Hitesh Bajpai remarked: “His entire life he (Digvijay) has been going to Azamgarh. Had he gone to Ayodhya a couple of times, he wouldn’t have had to call for the support of sadhus”. Countering him, Congress leader Shobha Ojha claimed the “sant samaj” had voluntarily come to Digvijay’s support. “No one has the right to give anyone a certificate on who is a Hindu and who is not. We are going to the people on the development agenda.”
The wrangling over who is a bigger and better Hindu seems to be the flavour in Bhopal. The fight between BJP’s controversial ‘sadhvi’ and Congress’ equally controversial Digvijay may turn out a “litmus test of the voters’ maturity,” say observers.
Meanwhile, a little over 67 per cent voter turnout was recorded across the six Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh that went to the polls on Monday. Madhya Pradesh has 29 Lok Sabha seats and the remaining ones will vote on May 6, 12 and 19.
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2vtNgYF
via Today’s News Headlines
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