Unlike previous elections, the current Assembly election has become an acid test for the State Industries Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is seeking re-election from Mhow Assembly segment against his old rival Antar Singh Darbar of the Congress.
All is not well with Vijayvargiya and going by the response of villagers and voters towards him in the constituency, it appears that the current election may prove to be the toughest battle of his political career. Though Vijayvargiya disapproves of any kinds of odds against him and claims that his victory margin this year would be thrice of what he had scored over his rival in his last elections.
Notwithstanding his tall claims, there is no gainsaying the fact that his current election from Mhow, in all likelihood has become a litmus test for his credibility and popularity. like last Assembly elections, his campaigning in rural segments of Mhow has earned him ire from the villagers and majority of the people in villages are showing a very cold-response to his election campaign, apparently for his failed promises as the latter had claimed to develop Mhow Assembly segment at par with Indore. Though Vijayvargiya rubbishes the charges being leveled against him and claims that in the past five years, he had carried out development works in Mhow worth about Rs 1,000 crores – these includes construction of two railway over-bridges, water supply from Choral dam, construction of roads in rural areas, development of Ambedkar and lord Parshuram memorials in Mhow, etc.
Despite his long list of developmental works, the ground realities belie his claims. That fact is that unlike previous election when Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, his long-time associate Ramesh Mendola and his supporters rallied behind him to ensure his mammoth victory from Mhow, things appears to be quiet in contrast for him in rural areas of Mhow where in all these five years, he was hardly accessible to the villagers, said a political observer in Mhow. This year Vijayvargiya is fighting a lone battle in Mhow with so far not any big political heavy weight of the state including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan coming to Mhow to campaign for him. Unlike previous years, even his long time confidant Ramesh Mendola and his supporters are conspicuous by their absence in Mhow.
Congress candidate Antar Singh Darbar who is pitted against Vijayvargiya from Mhow for second consecutive time, appears to be better placed this time and is making every effort to cash in on resentment of villagers against Vijayvargiya. The factors which weigh heavily in favour of Durbar are that he is a local candidate and remains accessible to the villagers quiet often unlike his political opponent.