Clean sweep for BJP in MP?

 

 

 

 

 

As we approach June 4, political parties, exit polls and people’s predications and speculations are doing the rounds. As most of them and BJP claims clean sweep for ruling party winning all 29 seats from the State in this election, the Opposition’s INDIA bloc is seeking to retain its bastion ‘Chhindwara’ moreover expecting to unseat BJP from some more constituencies. Madhya Pradesh had many intense electoral battles, it seems that this time Morena, Rajgarh and Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituencies are going to witness a close fight. A close look at royal Rajgarh seat suggests that the grand old party has fielded one of the senior-most leaders Digvijaya Singh. His political acumen can be understood with the fact that Vijaya Raje Scindia extended an invitation to him in 1970 to join Jan Sangh, but he chose to join the Congress instead. He has mounted an old school campaign, visiting different sections of societies especially caste-based associations, he intensified his campaign in rural areas covering 25 villages everyday. He won his first election as the Chairman of Raghogarh Municipal Board in 1969, went to Lok Sabha for the first time in 1984 from Rajgarh.

 

He, however, lost the seat to BJP’s Pyarelal Khandelwal in 1989 before wresting it back from him in 1991. Singh vacated the seat in 1993 after he was chosen by the Congress as the State’s CM. Although Singh who hails from the erstwhile royal family of Raghogarh and people have respect for the royal family but with time it has turned in to bastion of BJP. Some of them complained that he was more focused on state and national politics, he did not stay connected to locals. But the party has fielded him after a gap of some around three decades. Remarkably, he has made an emotional appeal saying this will be his ‘last election’. Whether this appeal will work against two-term sitting BJP MP Rodmal Nagar or not will be cleared on June 4. Morena comprises three significant communities including Dalits, Thakurs and Brahmins, which play a key role in political dynamics of the constituency.

 

Narendra Singh Tomar of the BJP was winning candidate from Morena Lok Sabha constituency, in Lok Sabha elections 2019, securing 5,41,689 votes while 4,28,348 votes were polled in favour of Ramniwas Rawat of the INC.

Ramniwas Rawat lost by 1,13,341 votes. Narendra Singh Tomar was appointed as Speaker of State Assembly and the MLA from Dimni, Congress is trying to give a tough fight to BJP by fielding an ex-BJP member Satyapal Singh Sikarwar, who joined Congress right after being expelled from the party citing anti-party activities as the reason. Meanwhile, BJP claimed its very first victory in Khajuraho and Indore constituencies before polling even began on these seats since Congress candidate withdrew his nomination and joined BJP. In Khajuraho, INDIA bloc’s candidate’s nomination was cancelled at scrutiny stage. So there is no prominent opposition on these two seats. Contrary to all exit polls; it is going to be difficult for Congress even to open its account. It can be said that of the 29 seats in the State, the BJP is expected to sweep with 26-29 seats. Ruling NDA and Opposition alliance INDIA put up a tough fight during the polls with both BJP and Congress exuding confidence over their victory in the Lok Sabha elections at these three seats.