- Interstate political leaders show anger
- Old ones are unhappy with the candidature of the new ones
Dr. Sanjay Payasi, Satna
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has created a stir in the politics of politically-fertile Vindhya even before the assembly elections by declaring half-a-dozen candidates. While the party has created a dilemma for the leaders who have become politically prominent by making them candidates for the assembly elections, it has also distanced them from their supporters who were close to them till recently.
The steps taken by the Bharatiya Janata Party to declare 79 candidates in the initial phase regarding the strategy for the Assembly elections 2023 have changed the political circumstances of other parties. The main opposition party Congress will also have to consider afresh the possible candidates for many areas. The two constituencies for which BJP had declared candidates for Vindhya in its first list include Chitrakoot in Satna district and Gunnaur assembly constituency in Panna district. Here at both the places the party has given a chance to its old candidates who had won once. BJP had declared these areas as aspirational areas. To keep an eye on these areas, leaders with long experience of the organization were appointed several months ago. However, after the declaration of candidates in both the constituencies, other contenders have adopted opposing attitudes. In Chitrakoot, a contender has already announced that he will contest the elections by taking membership of Bahujan Samaj Party.
The party has decided to field four-time MP from Satna Assembly, Ganesh Singh. Recently, Singh, who was the coordinator of Jan Ashirwad Yatra taken out from Vindhya, has been playing the role of providing tickets to many candidates during the last several assembly elections. Not only this, he also played a significant role in making current Rajya Sabha member Biplab Dev, who was once his colleague in Delhi, the Chief Minister of Tripura. His contesting from Satna assembly constituency, where he lost the last election, has surprised people. Similarly, Shrikant Chaturvedi, who was declared a candidate from Maihar Assembly for the first time, had joined BJP along with Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Although he had contested the last election from Congress, in which the margin of his defeat was less than 5,000 votes. After the candidature of Chaturvedi, some voices of protest are being raised there too. In the second list itself, BJP has once again given a chance to Vishwamitra Pathak from Sinhawal assembly constituency of Sidhi district. There is a possible contest on this traditional seat of Congress from Kamleshwar Patel, son of former minister late Inderjit Patel, who was a minister in the Kamal Nath government. Pathak has also won this seat once. Overall, both the lists of BJP have done the job of blowing the election bugle in Vindhya. Congress has kept its cards closed till now, while BSP, AAP and SP as the third force have also declared the names of their contenders for some seats.
Kedar Shukla’s rebellious attitude
In the second list, BJP has announced to field two MPs from Vindhya in the assembly elections. The constituency from which MP Reeti Pathak of Sidhi parliamentary constituency has been fielded has been with BJP for many years. Initially, there was a strong discussion about making the MLA from there, Kedar Shukla, a minister or Assembly Speaker in the current government to be formed for the fourth time under the leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. It is not completely clear the reasons for which he was dropped from the assembly race. He has also adopted a rebellious attitude after the incidents that happened to him. District President Rajesh Mishra, who is considering himself a strong contender for the seat, has sent his resignation to the State Organization Minister.
