Now, when both the ruling BJP and COngress have declared their candidates from Bhopal South-West assembly constituency, it has become clear that there would be a tough contest in both the parties.
A section of the political observers feel that BJP’s Bhagwandas Sabnani might win the seat as this has been the stronghold of the saffron party for decades.
In the last assembly elections, there was huge anti-incumabncy against the then Minister Uma Shankar Gupta, but even then he was fielded from here and the party lost to Congress’ PC Sharma. This time, Congress has fielded the same candidate while the BJP did not show confidence in Gupta. However, the party leadership is facing strong opposition for not fielding Gupta from here. Gupta supporters for the past two days making a lot of commotion at the State BJP headquarters and the residence of State BJP president VD Sharma.
It is worth mentioning here that considering this seat as ‘sure win’ several party leaders including Gupta and Rahul Kothari had been fielding for long. Sabnani has contested corporator’s election and in 2008 he had quit party in support of former chief minister Uma Bharti.
Among the top and heavyweight contenders pressing their claims and trying all sorts of power making and breaking equations Former minister Umashankar Gupta, state minister Rahul Kothari and district president Sumit Pachauri were contenders for this seat.
The state capital has seven constituency seats and this time it became difficult for Congress and BJP to field candidates due to close contests in the last state assembly in the state in which BJP failed to garner majority and independent and BSP candidates proved kingmaker.
Sabnani will face Congress candidate PC Sharma. With this, the picture of BJP-Congress candidates in all seven assemblies of Bhopal district became clear.
Sabnani getting the ticket is like the advantage of the third in a fight between two. The seat was on hold because of three contenders. Sabnani was given the ticket under a formula.
BJP has tried to win over the Sindhi dominated Huzur assembly constituency. The boundaries of Huzur and South-West assembly constituencies are adjacent.
The BJP has made Rameshwar Sharma its candidate. Naresh Gyanchandani is in the fray from Congress. In the last elections, Naresh had given a tough fight to Rameshwar in Bairagarh area.
By giving ticket to Sabnani, BJP has played a gamble to prevent the split of its traditional voters in Bairagarh.
An international conference of Sindhi society was held in Bhopal in March under the leadership of Sabnani. In which RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also participated. Since then it was believed that Sabnani would get the ticket.
