Congress confident of wresting power, BJP hopeful of 4th consecutive victory
From political pundits to pollsters, honest netas to rabble rousers, satta bazaar to share market, the eye of the entire nation will be on Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday when it goes to poll after a “free for all” campaigning that often saw emotional issues taking the centre stage and concerns of the common man taking the back seat.
While the Congress is going all out to wrest power from the BJP which, though, wary of a 15-year anti-incumbency, is hoping that the mandate could still be in their favour for the fourth term.
Poll campaigning for the 230-seat Assembly came to an end on Monday.
Unlike the last Assembly polls in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura where Prime Minister Narendra Modi held the sway for the BJP, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was the main campaigner and face of the party in Madhya Pradesh. Modi held just over 10 election rallies in the State.
Besides him, BJP president Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and a number of Union Ministers, including Nirmala Sitharaman, Uma Bharti, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Narendra Singh Tomar, visited the State in the last few days.
The BJP had denied tickets to over 60 sitting MLAs to beat anti-incumbency while the Congress sought to put behind the internal rivalry among its satraps in MP, like Kamal Nath, Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia. The rural unrest, the Congress hopes, may tilt balance in its favour as the BJP expects its “continued” hold over the urban voters and Opposition’s lack of a clear chief ministerial candidate could provide it the needed push to cross the winning line.
A total of 2,907 candidates are in the fray. The highest number of candidates contesting at one constituency is 34 at Mehgaon in Bhind, while the lowest number is 4 at Gunnor in Panna. The BJP has fielded 230 candidates while the Congress is contesting on 229 seats leaving one seat for Sharad Yadav-led Loktantrik Janata Dal. The BSP has fielded 227 candidates and the SP is contesting on 51 seats. The Aam Aadmi Party, contesting the Madhya Pradesh election for the first time, has fielded 208 candidates.
At present, the BJP, that has been ruling the State for 15 years, has 165 seats while the Congress has 58, the BSP has 4 and independents hold three seats in the MP Assembly.
A total of 650 companies of Central paramilitary forces have been deployed for security. 33,000 home guard jawans from various States have also been deployed. The model code of conduct was imposed on October 6.
The Congress has taken no chance and deployed nearly 50,000 party worker on 43 closely contested Assembly seats. A party leader said that during the last 15 years the margin of victory for the BJP on these seats has been low. These Assemblies have 10,429 booths and the party has deployed maximum manpower there.
The Congress is making maximum use of social media platform to draw the voters towards the grand old party through a mobile application ‘Ghar Ghar Congress’.
“The workers for the past one week have been meeting voters by reminding them about the ‘Ghar Ghar Congress’ mobile app. For all those who do not have a smartphone, the Congress workers are involved in door-to-door campaign,” added the leader, mentioning that more and more workers have been sharing and explaining details about the party’s manifesto and the benefits of giving a chance to the Congress.
A day before the Assembly electoins in the State, Congress’ internal assessment has claimed the party enjoys a 2.8 per cent lead over the BJP. The party thinks it is small lead but it is confident to cross the halfway mark by winning the majority of the 43 strategically identified seats.
While many Congress stalwarts including former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, State Congress president Kamal Nath and Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia are not contesting the Assembly polls, they also have a lot at stake to ensure their party’s victory in their respective bastions.
In case of Digvijay Singh and a few other stalwarts, their family members are in the fray. The prestige of the State Congress president Kamal Nath as well as of the State BJP president Rakesh Singh is at stake as both hail from Mahakoushal region.
MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Arun Yadav are pitted against each other in the high-profile Budhni seat from where the present Chief Minister contested his first Assembly election in 1989-90. A number of party workers are stationed in this Assembly segment as part of Congress strategy.
Though Yadav belongs to Khargone district in Nimar region of the western Madhya Pradesh, he has been fielded by the Congress from Budhni this time to challenge Chouhan on his home turf.
Digvijay Singh’s son Jaivardhan is contesting from his forte Raghogarh for the second time in a row, while his brother Laxman Singh is trying his luck from Chanchoda seat. Besides former powerful Congress leader Arjun Singh’s son and leader of Opposition Ajay Singh is contesting from his traditional Churht seat in Sidhi district.
Another relative of Digvijay Singh and ex-royal of Khilchipur Priyavrat Singh, also a former MLA, is trying his luck again from Khilchipur seat in Rajgarh district. Dr Hiralal Alawa is testing political waters for the first time on a Congress ticket from Manawar seat in tribal Dhar district.
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Suresh Pachouri is pitted against sitting MLA and Minister Surendra Patwa in Bhojpur seat of Raisen district. Former Union Minister Sartaj Singh, who left BJP on denial of party ticket and joined the Congress, is contesting against Assembly Speaker Sitasharan Sharma from Hoshangabad seat.
