MP: With In-Fighting Rife Within the BJP, Congress Fields ‘Faces’ in Upcoming By-Polls

Bhopal: At a time when the country is still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress have begun preparations for crucial upcoming by-polls for 24 seats in Madhya Pradesh.

While the Congress is betting on “faces” and welcoming former leaders into its fold, the BJP is holding meetings with party leaders and workers to end an internal feud.

Both parties have recently deployed district heads to keep a close eye on their workers in constituencies where by-polls are due.

The Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) decision to contest all 24 seats has sent both the Congress and the BJP into a tizzy. The Gwalior-Chambal region is a stronghold for the BSP, owing to the high population of Dalits in the area. The party had between two per cent and 18 % of the votes in almost every seat from the region in the last elections.

Out of the 24, 22 seats have been vacant since 22 rebel Congress rebel MLAs crossed over to the BJP, Jyotiradiya Scindia being the most notable name among them. Two seats are vacant after the death of two sitting legislators. The by-polls are likely to take place before September this year.

The State Election Commission has already begun preparations and notified District Collectors of the by-polls. However, dates for the same are yet to be announced.

Gwalior Attained Independence in 2020, Says Congress

According to reports, the Congress have reached out to political strategist Prashant Kishore for help with the by-polls.

“India got Independence in 1947, but the Gwalior-Chambal region gained independence in March this year after Jyotiradiya Scindia left,” said Congress’ Gwalior in-charge K.K. Mishra.

Mishra said that in the previous polls, the party had entrusted Scindia with responsibilities ranging from ticket distribution to poll strategy. “And he distributes it (tickets) to loyalists, undermining ground workers. But this time, the party will give a chance to committed party workers who will shine in the polls,” he said.

Mishra also alluded to the internal feud within the BJP in the state, saying that the cracks within the party will emerge as soon as they start distributing tickets.

Party spokesperson Abbas Hafeez Khan said that the Congress is heading into the polls with a clean slate.

“Gaddars Vs wafadars (traitors versus loyalists); Schindia’s wafadar vs Congress wafadar (Scindia’s loyalists vs Congress loyalists) and 15 months of mis-rule against 15 months of Congress rule,” Abbas said, adding that the party is betting on big faces.

Scindia-Shivraj Will Hold Rallies in Seats Going to Polls, says BJP

Hundreds of Congressmen and their loyalists who had switched over to the BJP, had joined the saffron party in Bhopal last month. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and State BJP Chief V.D. Sharma had welcomed them into the party.

Senior party leaders, including Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Home Minister Narottam Mishra, met with party workers to boost their morale ahead of the elections.

Commenting on the BJP’s poll-strategy, party spokesperson Rajnesh Aggrawal said: “The Congress is a leader-based party while the BJP is cadre-based. After 22 Congress leaders jumped ship to the BJP, their supporters have joined the saffron party as well. Now the Congress has no one left to work with.”

Aggarwal added that the party will raise issues like 15 months of Congress misrule, including the scrapping of pro-poor policies, lies about farm loan, illegal mining and transfer posting udyog.

“The party has already started its campaign in the region,” said Vijesh Lunawat, BJP’s state Vice-President.

“CM Chouhan and Scindia will carry out a number of rallies in the by-poll seats. The party will not only highlight the work carried out during fifteen years of BJP rule, but also the work of the Narendra Modi Government,” he said.

‘BJP has the Upper Hand’

Devshree Mali, a senior journalist from Gwalior and a political expert, said the biggest challenge for the BJP would be to tide over the anger of local BJP leaders and workers who are angry after 22 rebel Congress MLAs joined the party. Mali said that they are seen as threats as the party is likely to give tickets to Scindia’s loyalists.

For example, in the Gwalior assembly seat, Congress’ Parduman Singh Tomar had contested against BJP’s Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya, and won. This time around, Tomar is in the same party as Pawaiya, and both are looking to contest from the same seat. “The situation is almost similar in a number of seats in the region. However, the BJP has an upper hand in the elections because they only need eight MLAs out of 24 while the Congress needs 22,” Mali said.

On the Congress’ chances, Mali said that there was anger among voters against the BJP and Scindia’s loyalists, which is a good sign for the Congress. However, the party has no face for a lot of seats since a number of their best bets have moved to the BJP, he added.

In the Dabra assembly seat, for example, former minister Imarti Devi was the Congress’ face. However, as she had joined the BJP, the Congress became “faceless” in the seat. “It is a tough road ahead for the Congress in the by-polls,” he said.