Guna (Madhya Pradesh): The Congress has shifted its councillors in Madhya Pradesh's Raghogarh, party veteran Digvijaya Singh's home turf, to an undisclosed location amid the fear of poaching ahead of elections to the post of local municipal council chairman.
In the recently-held local body polls to the 24-member Raghogarh Municipal Council (RMC) in Guna district, the Congress won councillor's posts in 16 wards, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged eight seats.
Date for the election to the post of RMC chairman is yet to be announced.
"The party has kept most of its councillors incommunicado and away from mobile phones, not because of any fear, but on the basis of past experiences," Guna District Congress Committee (DCC) president Hari Vijayvargiya said without disclosing the location of the councillors.
Alleged poaching during district panchayat elections
He said that the party is also on alert after poaching was witnessed during the district panchayat elections held earlier in Bhopal, and the recent statement of Minister for Panchayat Mahendra Singh Sisodia.
Addressing a rally during the recently-held Raghogarh civic polls, Sisodia had asked Congress workers to join the BJP "or else Mama's (chief minister's) bulldozer is ready". He also expressed confidence that the ruling party in the state would win the next elections.
BJP's district unit president Dharmendra Sikarwar termed the Congress's move of shifting its councillors as "internal bickering" of the Congress.
"Despite the majority, the Congress sent its councillors to a safe place, though the BJP doesn't believe in poaching," he said.
Sikarwar said the councillors have the right to vote as per their own wish.
BJP will field candidates for RMC chairman post
While claiming that Congress leaders have already accepted their defeat, BJP's district chief said his party will also field the candidate for the post of RMC chairman.
Raghogarh is the home turf of Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh. He had represented Raghogarh Assembly seat for four terms, while his brother Lakshman Singh had won twice from here. Digvijaya Singh's son Jaivardhan Singh currently represents this seat, which is his second term.
BJP won 183 wards, Congress 143
Polling for the 19 urban bodies elections, including those of RMC, was held on January 20 while the result was declared on January 23.
The BJP candidates have won 183 post of councillors while Congress won in 143 wards in these 19 small urban local bodies.
These councillors will now elect the president of their respective municipal body.
