Madhya Pradesh by-polls: It's BJP's Chouhan vs Cong's Scindia for 2 seats

The Madhya Pradesh by-elections, scheduled for February 24 in the assembly constituencies of Kolaras and Mungaoli, will see a direct face-off between Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia. Congress may have a slight edge over Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) as the constituencies, which fall in the Guna Lok Sabha constituency of Congress leader Scindia, were won by the grand old party's candidates in 2013. So, while the Congress wants to build on its show in the Gujarat Assembly elections, the BJP wants to maintain Chouhans stature in the state. A win in either of the seats would help Chouhan forget his defeat in the Chitrakoot assembly by-election in November to Congress, a seat that the latter retained with an impressive margin of over 14,000 votes. Why all this hulabaloo over two seats when the MLAs will be in the assembly for not more than seven months? The end-game result of the polls at Mungaoli and Kolaras will be keenly watched, as it would set the general mood of the election saga in Madhya Pradesh, which is going to polls later this year. A BJP defeat in the by-polls could give a handle to Chouhan's detractors within the party to demand his replacement on the ground of anti-incumbency. And if Scindia loses, it will a setback for a leader trying to set in order the faction-ridden Congress unit. CM Chouhan ups the ante to woo voters Chouhan, keen to snatch the two seats from the Congress, had recently announced a slew of measures for the people of the region, including a Rs 1,000 monthly assistance for tackling malnutrition among Saharia tribals, who form a major chunk of the population in Kolaras and Mungaoli. His tone can be seen in his election speeches. “Give us five months, the people of the region would see development in five years,” reported ANI. He further went on to say, “If we fail, don’t vote for us again." In Bhopal, the CM announced a bonus of Rs 200 per quintal over the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat and paddy farmers.

This was seen in view of the massive farmers’ agitation in Madhya Pradesh. BJP even tried to pit Scindia against Scindia by fielding Jyotiraditya’s aunt Yashodhara Raje on February 5, reported The Times of India. However, the move backfired when Raje allegedly Raje allegedly threatened voters to cut off their water supply if they don’t vote for BJP. The Election Commission served her a notice for this, the English daily added. "Only BJP has brought development in Madhya Pradesh, while the Congress party did nothing for the public," the Chief Minister said during his road show. Chouhan's road show covered at least 40 villages in Mungaoli. Scindia leaves no stone unturned either Aware of the high stakes involved, the 47-year-old royal has been extensively touring the two seats to ward off the saffron challenge. Leaving no stone unturned to sweep the upcoming by-polls in the state, the Congress leader asked the people to make a choice between the two. "The selection is not between Congress and BJP; it is between Shivraj and me,” Scindia said, according to ANI. “Now the people have to decide whom they want -- Scindia or Chouhan.” Scindia futher hit out at the ruling parting at a road show on Wednesday for having ignored the state for the past 14 years. "No BJP minister was seen here for past 14 years. But after the death of MLA Mahendra Singh, the government is so interested in Mungaoli, that it seems it is going to be capital of Madhya Pradesh instead of Bhopal," he said, according to an ANI report. Scindia's road show covered 30 villages in Mungaoli. With a few days left for by-polls in Mungaoli and Kolaras assembly seats, the BJP and the Congress had intensified their campaigning. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP had won 27 of the 29 seats in poll-bound state. The term of Madhya Pradesh assembly ends on January 7.