BHOPAL: The Congress will field Phool Singh Baraiya from Bhander seat in the ensuing by-elections to make up for his defeat in the RS polls.
A resident of Gwalior, Baraiya, has fought assembly elections twice but lost. Now, he wants to try his luck on Congress ticket.
Once a president of Bahujan Samaj Party’s state unit, he left the party and formed Bahujan Sangharsh Dal.
A leader of SC community in Gwalior-Chambal division, he is well-connected at grass root level.
He fought assembly elections from Gwalior rural in 2018 and from Gohad in 2013 but lost. Former chief minister Digvijaya Singh brought him to the Congress in 2019.
The BJP made an issue for keeping Baraiya at number two in RS elections calling it an insult to SC community.
The Congress knows that BJP will raise the issue in by-elections too. Therefore, the party will try to silence the BJP by giving ticket to Baraiya.
The Congress has no good candidate to be fielded from Bhander seat, so Baraiya is all set to get the ticket. This is reason Baraiya has not spoken a word against any Congress leader despite BJP’s provocation.