BHOPAL: The state is all set to see two by-polls after the death of BJP MLA from Agar, Manohar Untwal.
Jaura Vidhan Sabha seat has already fallen vacant after the death of Congress MLA from there, Banwarilal Sharma, last month.
Through these two by-elections, Congress will have an opportunity to get majority of its own in the Assembly. At present, the party is a couple of seats away from the majority mark.
In the 230-member House, 228 seats have been filled. Initially, Congress had 114 seats, but, after its win in Jhabua by-election, the party’s tally mounted to 115. Nevertheless, after the death of Sharma, the number of its seats has again declined to 114.
If the party wins both Jaura and Agar by-polls, its tally will reach 116 and will be in majority of its own.
Nevertheless, if the BJP wins both the seats, the number of its tally will reach 109. The BJP will be in a comfortable position.
The prestige of two Congress leaders is at stake in these two by-elections. Congress is planning to field Sharma’s son who was a supporter of Jyotiraditya Scindia. The party wants Scindia to work for the by-polls.
Since Scindia has not been given importance, there is resentment among the party workers and leaders in Gwalior and Chambal divisions.
Scindia is the most popular leader in this region so the Congress is planning to hand over the charge of campaign to him.
The BJP has already begun preparations for Jaura by-election. Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar recently visited this place.
Urban development minister Jaivardhan Singh is in charge of Agar constituency where former chief minister Digvijaya Singh has a lot of influence.
The party has decided to hand over the charge of campaign to Jaivardhan who met the party workers in Agar on Thursday.
The margin of Untwal’s victory in the assembly elections was not very high so the Congress has begun to pull out all the stops to snatch this seat from BJP.
Jaivardhan himself will make the strategy for the by-election in Agar, and the candidate will be selected on the recommendations of Digvijaya and Jaivardhan.
