Opposition Congress may face difficulty in over 80 seats where the party fared miserably in the past assembly elections. It failed to win in over 50 constituencies in the last two to three elections while in 24 seats, the party even fared badly without winning a single seat in the past 25 years. Victory eluded the main opposition party in these 24 seats of 17 districts across the state even though they formed the government in 1993 and 1998. These 80-plus seats may hold the key to Congress’ Mission to win power in the state.
The 24 seats where the party failed to taste victory since 1993 are Harsud and Khandwa seats of Khandwa district of West UP with the former having been won by school education minister Kunwar Vijay Shah since 1990 with consummate ease. The list of such seats also include Govindpura in Bhopal, from where former CM and ex-home minister octogenarian Babulal Gaur has been undefeatable since 1980, the Indore-2 seat which has elected BJP strongmen Kailash Vijayvargiya from 1993-2003 and Ramesh Mendola in the last two polls. Mendola, a close confidante of Vijayvargiya won the seat in 2013 by a record margin of 91,000-plus votes.
Another seat of Indore district, Indore-4, has been won by BJP candidate Kailash Vijayvargiya, Lakshmansingh Gaur and his wife Malini Gaur, who is presently the Indore mayor since 1990. The list includes Mehgaon seat of Bhind district, Ambah seat of Morena district, Shivpuri and Pohri seats of Shivpuri district, Rehli and Sagar seats of Sagar district, Raigaon and Rampur Baghelan seats of Satna district, Deotalab and Tyonthar seats of Rewa district, Ashtha and Sehore of Sehore district.The BJP pocketed Ashok Nagar seat of Ashok Nagar district, Maharajpur in Chhatarpur district, Barghat of Seoni district, Jabalpur Cant of Jabalpur district and Sohagapur seat of Hoshangabad district.
Not only these 24 seats which the Congress has failed to win over the last five assembly polls, but also over 50 other seats spread in the Malwa-Nimar, Central MP and Mahakaushal region, which the Congress has failed to win in the last two to three assembly polls, despite trying all options, including fielding last time losers, fresh faces or even backing independent or regional party candidates. State Congress vice president Prakash Jain said “These seats are critical, only the candidate who knows the constituency well and knows the caste combination and local problems can win the election”.
He also claimed that “The electors have also chosen their comfortable person and they don’t want to disturb them. Now it’s the responsibility of the Congress candidate to bring faith among them”.
