Jhabua/ Meghnagar (Madhya Pradesh): With only a few hours left for the voting, both the Congress and the BJP left no stone unturned to ensure maximum support from tribal voters here in Jhabua and Alirajpur districts of Madhya Pradesh.
Both the districts bordering Gujarat are dominated by tribals, who have a total of five assembly seats, including three in Jhabua and two in Alirajpur district, with their own sets of problems and issues. The tribal vote bank holds significance in Madhya Pradesh's political landscape.
Not only in these districts, but they are also present in three other districts- Ratlam, Dhar, and Barwani- prompting both major parties to strategically target this demographic.
Both parties are well aware of the fact that tribal support is the key to success, and hence not wasting any opportunity to woo the voters here. From the Congress, top leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Kamal Nath, and Digvijaya Singh took the lead, while from the BJP side, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself visited Jhabua on Tuesday after Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited the area to garner the support from tribals.
The presence of such prominent leaders from both parties highlights the significance of Jhabua in the political landscape as they strive to connect with the tribal community and address their concerns.
The Prime Minister's visit to Jhabua showcases the party's strategic focus on garnering support from this community, recognising its potential impact on their political aspirations in the state.
This move reflects the party's determination to retain power in the state by actively engaging with and addressing the concerns of this influential demographic.
Additionally, both parties are actively engaging with tribal leaders and their organisations to gain their support and understanding of their specific needs and concerns.
Records in the past In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress emerged victorious in four out of the five assembly seats in Jhabua and Alirajpur districts, while the BJP managed only one seat.
This outcome highlights the Congress' strong foothold among tribal communities in these regions and emphasises the BJP's need to strengthen its appeal among this crucial voter base.
A by-election was held here after a BJP MLA got elected as a Lok Sabha member from the Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seat. In the by-elections, Congress won this seat and whitewashed the BJP from both districts.
However, once by-elections were necessitated in the Jobat assembly constituency following the demise of the sitting MLA during COVID-19, the BJP managed to win the respective seat.
Meanwhile, the Congress is determined to replicate their success in 2018 and regain power in the state. On the other hand, the BJP is aiming to recreate the favourable outcome they achieved in 2003 and retain their government.
