Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh): Poll campaigning is yet to gain momentum for Lok Sabha elections in the Ratlam-Jhabua-Alirajpur parliamentary seat (ST) though the nomination withdrawal date is over on Monday.
The main fight is between the BJP and the Congress, while after the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers, a total of 12 candidates are in the fray after withdrawal of one nomination. Polling will take place in this Lok Sabha seat on May 13. The main fight will be between Anita Chauhan of BJP and Kantilal Bhuria of Congress.
From 1952 to 2019, Congress won 14 elections, while Socialist and Janata party won one each and BJP two elections. Present Congress candidate has been contesting the elections since 1998 from this seat and won Lok Sabha elections from 1998 to 2009, but lost in 2014 to BJP. He again won election from this seat in 2015, due to the death of BJP MP Dilip Singh Bhuria. Bhuria lost the 2019 elections to BJP. He is contesting from this seat for the seventh time. BJP candidate Anita Chauhan is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time.
Ratlam-Jhabua-Alirajpur Parliamentary seat is comprised of eight Assembly seats, including Ratlam city, Ratlam rural (ST) and Sailana (ST) from Ratlam district, Jhabua, Petlawad, Thandla (all ST) in Jhabua district and Alirajpur, Jobat(Both ST) in Alirajpur district. In the 2023 assembly elections, the BJP won Ratlam city, Ratlam rural, Petlawad, Alirajpur seats, while Congress won Jhabua, Thandla, Jobat and Sailana (ST) was won by Bhartiya Adivasi Party.
