The ensuing by-elections have turned into a battle between Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his former counterpart Kamal Nath.
Nonetheless, also at stake is the prestige of a few other leaders. The BJP is batting on a sticky wicket in the five constituencies in Morena parliamentary seat.
By-polls are being held in Morena, Sumawali, Joura, Ambah and Dimni. The prestige of Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar is at stake in these constituencies.
Tomar has been elected from Morena for the second time. The BJP leadership has given him the responsibility to lead the party to victory.
Four leaders who have defected from the Congress to the BJP are fighting the ensuing elections.
The party has fielded former legislator Subedar Singh Rajaudha from Joura. It was Tomar who was responsible for giving ticket to Rajaudha.
Joura seat has fallen vacant following the death of Congress’s Banwari Lal Sharma. The Congress has fielded Pankaj Upadhyay from this seat.
The local BJP workers are not in favour of Rajaudha. The caste equation is also against him.
The BJP has fielded Aidal Singh Kansana from Sumawali. Kansana is pitted against Congress’s Ajab Singh Kushwaha who fought the last Vidhan Sabha elections against him on the BJP ticket.
Party-hoppers are not a problem in this seat. But the BJP is keyed up because of large number of Kushwaha voters in the area.
The Congress has fielded Ravindra Singh Tomar against BJP’s Girraj Dandotia from Dimni. But, because of large number of Tomar voters, the odds are in favour of the Congress.
Voters are angry with the BJP candidate from Ambah, Kamlesh Jatav. The Congress has fielded Satyaprakash Sakhbar who crossed over to the party from the BSP.
The BJP is in trouble because of voters’ resentment at Jatav. The BJP is caught in a three-cornered contest in Morena.
Here, BJP’s Raghuraj Kansana is facing Congress candidate Rakesh Mawai and BSP’s Jaiprakash Rajauriya. The BSP candidate appears stronger than two other candidates in this seat.
Winning these seats has become difficult for Tomar. If BJP loses these seats, it will dent his image.
Tomar is trying to settle all the problems of his own, but the wind is not in favour of the BJP.
People are angry with those former Congress leaders who have defected to the BJP.
Besides that, the voters in this area are also bitter with the BJP. The people’s anger against the BJP leaders is evident.
Apart from Tomar, BJP’s state unit president VD Sharma is from Morena. Therefore, if the BJP does not win enough seats in this region, the party will get a severe jolt.
