Indore: As brainstorming in the saffron party begins for ticket distribution, 34-year-old Akash Vijayvargiya once again hopefully looks at his father and BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya for “the gift” he was promised five years ago on his birthday. Will he be lucky enough, this time, to get “political placement” as birthday gift or will his wait continue?

BJP heavyweight and sitting MLA from Mhow, Vijayvargiya in 2013 had expressed his desire to gift his constituency to his son and devote his services to party organisation. On the social media, the Mhow MLA had posted his wish saying, “(He wants) to leave the path for Akash and work for the party from behind scene for the Assembly polls. May be this decision is a gift to my son on the occasion of his birthday.”

However, complicated political equations did not allow the loving dad to “fulfil his desire” then. Five years on, have things changed for the father-son duo?  The senior Vijayvargiya seems quite “determined” to give the pending gift to his foreign-educated son but its cost has to be borne by others too. So, it’s not a cakewalk for the father-son duo and for others too. Sample this…

Mhow : Not a great choice

2013 Kailash Vijayvargiya  of BJP won election by 12216 VOTES

Being sitting MLA, Vijayvargiya may relinquish his seat and make way for his son. However, things are not very rosy at Mhow constituency. In 2013, Mhow was the first option for Vijayvargiya, if not the first choice, to launch the political career of his US returned son. Five years on, the situation has not improved (if not worsened) for Akash, who in absence of his father – who got busy in national politics — has kept himself busy in the constituency.

Since Vijayvargiya is now concentrating more on national politics and in party organisational work, his connect with the locals have weakened and this might not augur well at least for Akash if he is handed over the baton. Plus, Mhow residents are unlikely to accept junior Vijayvargiya like they did his father (the man for development) against Congress strongman Antar Singh Darbar. So, Mhow is not a safe seat for Akash. Here comes in picture Indore-II constituency.

Indore-II : Safest for launch 

2013 Ramesh Mendola of BJP won election by 91016 votes

Indore II constituency, the home turf of Vijayvargiya, had always been his first choice to field his son. For Akash, nothing would be better than stepping into state politics from Indore-II, which had been represented by his father for three terms before gifting the seat to his protégé Ramesh Mendola in 2008. Vijayvargiya had then moved to Mhow and took on two-time sitting MLA Antar Singh Darbar and defeated him in two consecutive polls.

At Indore II, Mendola won 2008 elections by a margin of nearly 40,000 votes whereas he set a record 91,017 votes win in 2013 polls.
Launching Akash from this constituency would be safest and a sure-shot win. As Vijayvargiya had vacated this seat to his right-hand man Mendola for fulfilling his political aspiration, now the senior BJP leader wants Mendola to return the favour!

However, Mendola from nowhere appears to be thinking on the lines of his mentor. For him, to offer the safest seat in a platter to junior Vijayvarigya is too much to expect. Even during the last Assembly elections, Vijayvarigya reportedly had offered Mhow seat to Mendola and sought Indore-II for Akash in return, which the latter refused.

Mendola in all probability might do the same this time too. However, this time senior Vijayvargiya may not give up and try all his might to ensure ticket to his son from this very constituency. If not now, it could not be later. But if his plans failed, then he may lay eyes on Indore-III constituency.

INDORE-III: STANDBY OPTION

2013 Usha Thakur of BJP won election by 13318 VOTES

Indore 3 constituency, bordering the Vijayvargiya erstwhile home turf Indore II could be the standby choice. BJP’s Usha Thakur had wrested the seat from Congress MLA Ashwin Joshi who represented this seat for three terms (1998, 2003, 2008). Wind of anti-incumbency is blowing strong in the constituency and the party might consider changing party candidate.

In such a scenario, Vijayvargiya might bat for his son. For Vijayvargiya, this seat looks quite promising as the popularity of Thakur is on wane and voters might want to give a chance to a new face. If Vijayvargiya has his say, he might ask Mendola to shift to neighbouring constituency and this might just open a way for his son to contest from Indore-II, a seat where the party has a sizeable support base. However, chances of Mendola accepting the request are quite bleak. So, Vijayvargiya may seek ticket for Akash from Indore-III.