Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The state of Madhya Pradesh just concluded the third phase of the Lok Sabha Elections. Now, as the state gears up for the fourth and final phase of the 'Festival of Democracy', here's all you need to know about Khargone Lok Sabha Constituency.
The fight here is between the BJP's sitting MP Gajendra Patel and Congress debutant Porlal Kharte.
Khargone is one of the 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh and is reserved for candidates belonging to Schedule Tribes. Historically, Khargone has been a contested seat.
According to the data, after the 89-98 BJP sweep, Congress finally came into power in 1999. This grip did not last long, as in the very next LS elections, the BJP grasped the seat. This tussle of power has been a recurring trend in this constituency.
Easy Fight for Gajendra Patel?
Gajendra Patel started as a member of the consultative committee in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry; later, he was appointed as a member of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs before being elected to the Lok Sabha in 2019 from Khargone.
On the other hand, Porlal Kharte is contesting his first Lok Sabha election, which makes the fight for this seat tip towards the saffron party.
What does the data say?
2019 Lok Sabha
In the 2019 general elections, BJP was already in a strong position in the constituency as they had won the 2014 elections. Gajendra Patel retained the BJP's seat, winning by a margin of over 2 lakh votes.
Patel managed to rack up 7.72 lakh votes in his favour, on the other hand, INC candidate Dr Govind Subhan Mujalda got 5.7 lakh votes. The winning margin was quite substantial.
2014 Lok Sabha
In the 2014 edition of the Lok Sabha Elections, BJP candidate Subhash Patel won the elections by a huge margin of 2,57,879, against the then ruling party candidate Ramesh Patel.
Number of Voters:
In Khargone Lok Sabha Constituency, the total number of electors amount to 18,34,385 with a near equal split between male and female. Out of 18L electors only 77%, which amounts to 14,25,298 people casted their vote in the 2019 general elections. This marked a near 10% rise in the voter turnout as compared to the 2014 general elections.
What does opinion polls say?
The India TV CNX opinion poll indicates that the "Modi wave" is still influential in Khargone, giving all 29 seats to BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image as a development-focused and decisive leader continues to sway a considerable portion of the electorate towards the Saffron Party.
Additionally, Hindutva ideology holds tremendous power in Khargone, with religious polarisation visible. Hindu voters are predicted to overwhelmingly back the BJP in the constituency.
