Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh): The district, known for bottle green forests and aromatic Chinnour rice, is echoed with the din of electioneering by BJP and Congress candidates these days.
But behind this rumpus, resentment among the rebels of both the main political parties is brewing, because the senior leaders' efforts to quell the anger have fallen through.
The situation has come to such a pass that Congress’s Bodh Singh Bhagat, BJP’s Gaurav Singh Pardhi and independent candidates Keshar Bisen and Prashant Mesharm may come to blows any day in Katangi constituency.
On the other hand, Lanji presents a different picture. Congress candidate Hina Kawre is getting support from her party men as well as from people of this area.
The BJP has fielded Rajkumar Karrahe instead of former president of the party’s district unit Ramesh Bhatere.
This is the reason why there is resentment among the BJP workers. The supporters of Bhatere are campaigning for the party candidates in other constituencies.
The voters of Lanji are talking about scams instead of local issues and development.
The candidates of both the parties are blaming each other for various scams.
The Waraseoni constituency more or less also presents the same scenario as does the Lanji seat.
Former legislator of the BJP Yogendra Nirmal is still angry with the party, after the BJP fielded Pradeep Jaiswal from this constituency.
Transport Minister of Uttar Pradesh Dayashankar Singh and Jaiswal went to Nirmal’s residence to pacify him.
It, however, did not work, for Nirmal clearly told Adityanath and Nirmal that he would neither campaign for the BJP nor fight any election.
Because the leadership did not listen to him, his supporters were angry, so he would not change his decision, Nirmal reportedly told Adityanath and Jaiswal.
The Congress candidate, however, seems to have managed his supporters.
In Balaghat constituency, former minister Gourishankar Bisen is locked in a triangular contest. He is facing Congress’s Anubha Munjare and his nephew Vishal Bisen.
The voters of Baihar constituency are going to see traditional Congress rivals – Congress’s Sanjay Uike and BJP’s Bhagat Singh Netam – in the electoral ring.
Similarly minister Ramkishore Kanwre is locked in a triangular contest. He is facing former legislator of the Congress Madhu Bhagat and former legislator KankarMunjare.
The candidates of both the Congress and the BJP have been contesting against one another for a long time. So it has caused confusion among voters.
(With inputs from Anand Tamrakar)
