- Vijaypur and Budhni by-polls: BJP’s panel of candidates ready; Cong’s search not over yet
Kanhaiya Lodhi, Bhopal
The election bugle has been sounded for the two prestigious assembly by-elections of MP, both the main parties BJP and Congress are once again ready to challenge each other, but at the initial stage itself the ruling BJP has gained a psychological edge over the main opposition party Congress. This is because the picture has become clear as to who will be the candidate from BJP in Vijaypur and Budhni, but on the other hand in Congress this picture is still blurred and only speculation is going on.
The state BJP has prepared a panel of names of candidates for Budhni and Vijaypur by holding a meeting of the election management committee last Sunday and has sent it to the central election committee, in which only a single name of Ramniwas Rawat has been prepared from Vijaypur. There was no doubt about the name here, during the last Lok Sabha elections, Rawat had resigned from Congress and joined BJP and later he also resigned from the membership of the Legislative Assembly, in such a situation, by-election was decided in Vijaypur seat, while the candidate from BJP was also decided. BJP’s real dilemma was about Budhni assembly seat, this seat is the home constituency of current Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, after winning the election from Vidisha parliamentary seat in the Lok Sabha elections, Chauhan resigned from the membership of the Legislative Assembly, due to which by-election was decided in Budhni assembly seat.
The biggest problem here for the BJP organization was the selection of candidates, but BJP, rich in organizational strength, has almost overcome this problem as well. First three names were added to the panel and then the names kept increasing continuously and finally it stopped at five names. Now it is clear that one of the five names will contest from Budhni on behalf of BJP. The names that have been included in the panel include Ramakant Bhargava, Guruprasad Sharma, Rajendra Singh Rajput, former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s son Kartikeya Singh Chauhan and Budhni BJP Mandal President Asharam Yadav. One name that is also being considered is Raghunath Bhati. That means there is no dearth of contenders in BJP.
Can Bhargava withdraw to support Kartikeya?
Former MP Ramakant Bhargava has been an MP before, but in the last Lok Sabha elections, his ticket was cut and given to Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Vidisha parliamentary constituency. Bhargava is considered a staunch supporter of Chouhan. Among the three strongest contenders for the ticket, Bhargava’s name is at the forefront. In such a situation, can Bhargava clear the way for Union Minister Chouhan’s son Kartikeya Singh Chouhan? If the political situation in Budhni is considered, this step will not be unexpected. It is being told that Bhargava has internally told the organization about supporting Kartikeya Singh. That is, if Kartikeya gets the ticket, Bhargava will not have any objection. Here, another strong contender Guruprasad Sharma’s name is also in the panel. Which cannot be ignored.
Eyes on the central leadership
Shivraj Singh Chouhan may have dominance in Budhni, but who to field in the by-election, it is the central leadership that has to decide. Will Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s son be given a chance to carry forward his legacy? If he gets a chance, then what message will it send to the country and the state? What will be the impact on the lines drawn regarding nepotism in future elections? Only after considering all these aspects, the final seal will be put on the name of the candidate for Budhni.
Congress is still searching
As it often happens, Congress often lags behind in taking decisions. Something similar is the case with the selection of candidates for Vijaypur and Budhni. Congress’s candidate search campaign is going on at both the places. Efforts are being made to go on the ground and investigate, so that a tough fight can be given in the by-election. However, among the names that have come out initially, former District President Mahesh Rajput can be a strong contender from the Congress in Budhni. Here in Vijaypur, it is not clear who will contest from the Congress against BJP’s Ramniwas Rawat, but according to the indications received, Congress can bet on a tribal here.
