Bhopal: The upcoming by-polls at two assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh are seen as the biggest test for Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Congress’s Jyotiraditya Scindia, ahead of the assembly polls later this year.
Even as Scindia is emerging as the prime contender to challenge CM Chouhan in assembly polls, though without an official confirmation from Congress, the by-polls seem to have been reduced to Scindia versus Chouhan battle as both the seats going to polls lie in Scindia’s citadel —Gwalior and Chambal region.
More than Chouhan, for whom a couple of defeats in the by-polls, if any, won’t be the end of the world. The stakes are high for Scindia scion, which faces BJP government in his home turf and desperately requires win on three primary accounts.
First and foremost, both the seats were held by the Congress, and more by late MLAs –Ram Singh Yadav (Kolaras in Shivpuri) and Mahendra Singh Kalukheda (Munagoli in Ashoknagar), the known loyalists of Scindia family. So, it’s more like Scindia contesting himself more than anyone else from both the seats.
Secondly, with Congress yet undecided on CM face in Madhya Pradesh, Scindia has emerged as the prime contender given his relatively cleaner image, mass appeal among youths and strong backing from Congress president Rahul Gandhi. So the party would be waiting with bated breath to weigh Scindia’s credence in MP’s perspective on the basis of outcomes of the by-polls in his home turf where Scindia could ill-afford to lose.
Lastly, above all, it would be a prestige and pride issue for Scindia to win both the seats in a territory where his ancestors used to rule and his family continues to evoke reverence from the locals.
For obvious reasons, Scindia has been all guns blazing in both the seats leading the charge from the front.
On occasions, he has found support from veteran Kamal Nath and seniors Kantilla Bhuria and Suresh Pachauri-both not known to be leaders with mass support.
Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh has remained away from whatever is happening in Gwalior-Chambal belt along with his close aide and state president Arun Yadav, while AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh has kept himself busy in Narmada Parikrama. Deafest for Scindia would automatically bolster leadership claims from these seasoned politicians.
Meanwhile, for Congress as a whole, victories in both the seats could offer the perfect start to its scheme of things in which the grand old party wishes to end BJP’s 15-year-old rule in Madhya Pradesh after being thrown out of power in 2003.
On the contrary, as has been the trend with him in recent past, CM Chouhan has been personally controlling the reins of election campaign. After losing both Ater and Chitrakoot by-polls last year, the Madhya Pradesh CM is desperate for winning the two seats by all means. To bolster party’s chances, he even inducted Narayan Singh Kushwah from Gwalior and Balkrishna Patidar from Khargone into the cabinet so as to woo Kachhi and Kurmi voters in Kolaras and Munagoli.
With no other elections in sight till the state witnesses assembly polls later this year, the by-polls offer CM Chouhan a tantalizing platform to showcase his hold on the state, convey a strong message to his own party and also to the opposition Congress.
No wonder, Congress has been alleging wide misuse of government machinery at both the assembly seats.
The voting for both the constituencies takes place on Feb 24.
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