BHOPAL: The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are locked in a straight fight in most of the 28 seats for which by-elections are being held.
Nonetheless, five seats in the Gwalior-Chambal region are witnessing a three-cornered contest or a four-cornered fight. It is difficult to say in which side the wind is blowing.
The political situation in Morena, Ambah, Joura, Bhander and Mehgaon has become very exciting. As the BSP candidates in these seats are very strong they can pull a surprise on the two national parties.
Because of three-cornered contest, the victory margin may not be very high in these seats. An independent candidate from Ambah is emerging stronger than the BJP, Congress and BSP candidates.
Morena
Bahujan Samaj Party’s Ram Prakash Rajouria is giving a hard time to Congress’s Rakesh Mawai and BJP’s Raghuraj Kansana. If the caste equation goes well Rajouria may win. Both Kansana and Mawai are supporters of Jyotiraditya Scindia. Mawai did not resign from the Congress. Therefore, Kamal Nath has given him ticket. Rajouria is getting Brahmin support. Vote is getting split, because the BJP and Congress candidates are Gurjars.
Ambah
BJP’s Kamlesh Jatav is pitted against Congress’s Satyaprakash Sakhwar. Sakhwar was a former MLA of the BSP. Besides BSP’s Bhanu Pratap Singh Sakharwar, independent candidate Abhinav Chhari has girded up his loins in the election arena. Traditional votes of all castes will be split in this region. Of the four candidates, anyone can win, because of division of votes. As there are two Sakharwars in the fray there are chances that the votes of Sakharwar community will be divided. Besides the votes of SC/ST, the candidate who will get the support of other castes will win.
Joura
Congress has fielded a new face Pankaj Upadhyay against BJP’s former legislator Subedar Singh. The BSP has given ticket to former MLA Soneram Kushwaha. The constituency is witnessing a tough fight. As the area is Brahmin-dominated, the contest has become interesting. The seat has fallen vacant after the death of Congress MLA Banwarilal Sharma. Party-hopping is not an issue in this seat.
Mehgaon
The Congress has fielded former legislator Hemant Katare against state minister OPS Bhadauria who is contesting the elections on BJP ticket. Yogesh Narwaria is contesting on BSP ticket from this seat that is witnessing a three-cornered contest. The results will be based on caste equation. The Congress fears sabotage in this constituency. BSP is counting on the split votes of the two national parties.
Bhander
The contest has become fascinating after former minister Mahendra Bouddh entered the fray on BSP ticket. BJP’s Raksha Sironia and Congress’s Phool Singh Baraiya are pitted against each other. As the three candidates are party-hoppers defection will not be an issue in this constituency. Voters are angry with the BJP candidate, but there is resentment among the upper caste against the Congress aspirant, too. Therefore, the constituency is going to witness an exciting contest.
