Burhanpur (Madhya Pradesh): With only a few hours left to determine who will rule the state, tensions are running high among the candidates and their supporters. In the meantime, myths regarding some of the assembly seats in the state are also being discussed. These myths are adding to the excitement and anticipation surrounding the election results. Some claim that certain assembly seats are cursed or have a history of unexpected outcomes. There are some assembly constituencies that have their own stories and one such myth revolves around the Nepanagar assembly seat in Burhanpur.
According to local folklore, this seat is supposedly fortunate as it brings good luck not only to the winning candidate but also to the party that secures victory here. People here believe that they not only elect the candidate but also the government in the state, as it is being told that the government also belongs to the party whose MLA is elected from here. This belief stems from the fact that the Nepanagar assembly constituency has a history of consistently electing MLAs from the same political party, which has resulted in a strong association between the elected representative and the ruling government.
These stories have been passed down through generations and are deeply ingrained in the local culture.
However, it remains to be seen whether this myth holds any truth or if it's just a product of superstition and speculation as the election results are ultimately determined by the voters' choices and not by superstitions.
History of Nepanagar seat The Nepanagar Assembly constituency, which came into existence before 1977, has witnessed a dynamic political landscape over the years. So far, 12 assembly elections, including two by-elections have been held and the BJP's consistent success in winning the seat reflects their strong support base, while the Congress and Janata Party have also enjoyed significant victories. The change in reservation status to tribal category in 2008 highlights the evolving demographics and political dynamics of the region. Kasdekar’s win solidifies local belief Belief gained further strength in 2018 and 2020 as various events unfolded.
In 2018, Congress pitted Sumitra Devi Kasdekar from Nepanagar against the daughter of Rajendra Dadu and then-sitting MLA Manju Dadu. Kasdekar emerged victorious by a margin of 1,264 votes.
This victory solidified the belief among the locals as Congress not only emerged victorious from Nepanagar, but the Kamal Nath-led Congress also came into power in the state.
Meanwhile, after the downfall of the Kamal Nath government in the state, Kasdekar gave up her assembly seat and joined the BJP. During the byelections, Kasdekar contested on a BJP ticket and emerged victorious.
Election Elected MLA (Party) Ruling Party
1977 Brijmohan Mishra, Janata Party JP
1980 Tanwant Singh Keer, INC (I) INC
1985 Tanwant Singh Keer, INC (I) INC
1990 Brijmohan Mishra, BJP BJP
1993 Tanwant Singh Keer, INC (I) INC
1998 Raghunath, INC (I) INC
2003: Archana Chitnis, BJP BJP
2008 Rajendra Dadu, BJP BJP
2013 Rajendra Dadu, BJP BJP
2016 Manju Dadu, BJP BJP (By-Poll)
2018 Sumitra Devi Kasdekar, (INC) INC
2020 Sumitra Devi Kasdekar, BJP BJP (By-Poll)
