Ujjain: The 2018 Assembly elections will be the 15th one in Madhya Pradesh post-Independence, but the electioneering scenario has gone topsy-turvy at least for this time. Without “creating scenes”, you cannot be considered as a front-runner for party tickets. During the initial period of selection of candidates, ticket aspirants took more interest in distorting the image of their competitors and when they were not given tickets, these people are now resorting to all kinds of tactics to make it difficult for the party’s official candidate.
Today’s scenario is all about I, ME and MYSELF. Was the scenario like this forever that is since 1952. A flashback into the past made it clear that political parties gave tickets to suitable candidates and not on the basis of pressure tactics and street smart ways. Caste and cash equations were not in play.
Freedom fighter remembers the bicycle era
Premnarayan Nagar
However, these situations rarely happened at the time when democratic form of system was felt essential for the country post-Independence. Nobody even knew about the model code of conduct or high sounds of electioneering and even character assassination. Number of political parties and contesting candidates also used to be less. But, the participation of electorates in electioneering and exercising used to be high and voluntary vis-à-vis today’s managed shows.
Ninety-three-year-old freedom fighter Premnarayan Nagar, who originally hails from Shivpuri, told Free Press that Congress, Hindu Maha Sabha and Community Party were the main political parties, but their leaders used to approach suitable candidates to finalise their candidature after verifying each and every thing. During 1952, 1957, 1962 and 1967 elections, polling used to be held on double constituency that is for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha simultaneously.
Separate ballot boxes of different colours for every contesting political party having their symbol on particular ballot boxes used to be placed at the polling stations so as to facilitate voters, especially illiterate and women voters, for smooth voting. Workers of political parties used bicycles for canvassing. They used to ferry boxes filled with domestic colours to paint the name of candidate, name of party and symbol on walls. They had gur and chana for breakfast. Voting was a cultural matter and so for lunch these men would get the homely food at some kind-hearted villager’s hut!
Use of loudspeakers was not frequent and vehicles like jeep were not in fashion then. Candidates of political parties used to stay in villages for the night so that they could spend time with the villagers and know their submissions and grievances both. The main motive of the candidates was to provide education, road/electricity/water/health facilities to the people. Electorates used to visit the venues of election meetings and if need be they waited for hours to witness the Neta speak.
Helicopters pressed into service to pacify rebels
BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvergiya lands in Ujjain to pacify rebels
For the current election, the final day of filing nomination papers (November 9) is over and scrutiny of these papers was conducted on November 12 and nominations can be withdrawn till November 14. But, instead of executing poll campaigning at Ground Zero, both the arch rival parties are busy in managing dissidence which cropped-up in the aftermath of ticket distribution. Initial reports suggest that the BJP and Congress managers had been busy in satisfying the rebels on almost 50 seats each out of 230 seats of the state assembly.
In a bid to resolve the issue in favour of official candidates by hook or crook, special envoys of these parties are moving here and there round-the-clock. Apparently, these parties were not facing dearth of money otherwise they did not explore services of helicopters and chartered planes. After going through print, electronic and even the social media, anybody can gauge the fact that the dissidents are leaving no stone unturned to expose what they called wrong decision of their respective party to finalise ticket in one’s favour. Vandalising party offices, exposing misdeeds of party bigwigs in the name of ticket distribution through press conferences etc incidents are still in progress across the state and neither BJP nor Congress is exception now.
Barnagar: Now and then
BJP’s divisional headquarters at Ujjain being vandalised by party dissidents
Barnagar constituency of Ujjain district from where former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee received his primary education and which gave legendary lyricist late Ramchandra Dwivedi alias Pradeep to the Hindi movies is now catching everybody’s attention. BJP has already denied ticket to sitting MLA Mukesh Pandya and tipped Jitendra Pandya so as to settle caste equations.
But on November 9, the party suddenly finalised the name of Sanjay Sharma, who in fact did not seek ticket. Now, the party leaders are facing charges of receiving kick-backs for settling the ticket deal. Local workers also staged violent and aggressive demonstration at the party’s divisional headquarters to press for their demand to reconsider the decision though party leadership did not take final decision in this regard as yet. Premnarayan Nagar recalled that issue of ticket distribution was altogether different in 1952.
Senior BJP functionaries and workers from Barnagar sitting on dharna to change the candidate
“Congress had sent Mahesh Sharan from New Delhi as observer for Barnagar and I also accompanied him. We chose Kanhaiyyalal Mehta and Sawai Singh Sisodia, but both of them were recommended each other’s names and not of their individual name. On the suggestion of a local party leader, we conducted a draw and the result went in favour of Sisodia,” he narrated. Nagar said that political parties used to give tickets on their requests as people were not used to be very enthusiastic for ticket.