After Bhuria, Katare wins on his own strength
BHOPAL: The outcome of the two assembly bye-polls in the state may not have much of an impact on the state BJP but they are sure to trigger a minor earthquake in the Congress. The results were on the expected lines but instead of the party organisation, it is Hemant Katare and Scindia who are being given credit for the Ater victory. Scindia had led the party’s poll effort in Ater.
The AICC general secretary in-charge for Madhya Pradesh Mohan Prakash and PCC chief Arun Yadav devoted most of their time to campaigning in Bandhavgarh but the Congress lost by over 25,000 votes from there. On the other hand, Scindia camped at Ater for four days and could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat for his party. The poll outcome has proved that Scindia is the best bet for the Congress in the state.
Rumours of changes in the state Congress setup have been doing the rounds for some time. After the bye-poll outcome, Scindia or Kamalnath may be asked to take over the leadership of the state Congress and begin preparing for the 2018 polls.
The Congress has scored a victory in a bye-poll in the state after a gap of one-and-a-half years. The last time the Congress had won was when Kantilal Bhuria had emerged victorious in the Jhabua-Ratlam Lok Sabha bye-elections. In both the cases, the general perception is that the candidates and not the party had won. Both the candidates fought on their own strength and managed to win.
The results are unlikely to have any major impact on the BJP. But home minister Bhupendra Singh, who was holding the reins of the party campaign in Bandhavgarh, has once again proved his mettle. Earlier, he had managed the party’s campaign in Shahdol Lok Sabha bye-elections.
State BJP organisational general secretary Suhas Bhagat and state party chief Nandkumar Singh Chouhan mainly concentrated on Ater. The outcome has put a question mark on their campaigning and poll management skills. And this may cost dear to the party. Both these leaders do not have a rapport with the party. And neither do they know the art of winning elections. Many party workers are recalling the former organisational general secretary Arvind Menon, who had helped the party win many an election.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had joined the campaigning in Ater at the eleventh hour but he more than compensated for the delay by his intensive canvassing. The BJP leaders say that but for Chouhan, Bhadoria would have lost by a much bigger margin. The party leaders have already started blaming Bhadoria for the defeat. The BJP wants to distance itself from the defeat by blaming it on the personal anti-incumbency of Bhadoria.
‘Scindia should lead party in 2018 polls’
After his victory, Hemant Katare not only gave full credit for to it to Scindia but also demanded that the 2018 assembly elections be fought under his leadership. He said that Scindia would become the chief minister of the state after the next Vidhan Sabha elections.
Sons replace fathers
While political parties of all hues routinely condemn nepotism in politics, but dynasty politics was endorsed by the electorate in both the assembly bye-elections in the state, the results of which were announced on Thursday. The Ater seat had fallen vacant due to the death of the leader of opposition in the Vidhan Sabha Satyadev Katare. His son Hemant Katare has replaced him. The Bandhavragh seat was rendered vacant to the resignation of Gyan Singh, who had been returned to the Lok Sabha. Here too his son has emerged victorious. There have been persistent demands in the both the parties for not fielding the sons and daughters of senior leaders in elections. But these victories seem to have proved that dynasty politics does work, at least sometimes.
