Ratlam: With Congress announcing Kantilal Bhuria as its candidate for Ratlam-Jhabua Parliamentary seat reserved for ST, all eyes are now set on BJP. Ratlam-Jhabua parliamentary seat is one such seat in Malwa region where BJP has to exercise hard work in selecting its candidate, BJP highly placed sources indicated. As was expected Congress has again fielded sitting MP Kantilal Bhuria from Ratlam-Jhabua parliamentary seat.
Congress appeared to be confident on the basis of its past performance in the parliamentary elections but BJP despite winning only once on this seat has improved its strength substantially so as to pose equal challenge to Kantilal Bhuria in coming elections .Therefore, all eyes are fixed on the candidate of BJP from Ratlam-Jhabua parliamentary seat and number of names have emerged.
BJP’s highly placed sources said that BJP is considering number of names, which have emerged as BJP’s possible candidate from Ratlam parliamentary seat including Nagar Singh Chouhan (Alirajpur), G S Damor (Jhabua), Kal Singh (Thandla), Nirmala Bhuria (Petlawad) and Sangeeta Charel (Sailana).
BJP sources also said that at present chance of Nagar Singh Chouhan as BJP candidate from Ratlam-Jhabua parliamentary seat is bright. Nagar Singh Chouhan is presently spokesman of the BJP’s state unit and also remained MLA from Alirajpur three times but lost in 2018 elections.
Name of MLA from Jhabua G S Damor has also figured but BJP will have to take the risk of vacating the seat for by-elections from Jhabua again. Another contender Nirmala Bhuria lost to Kantilal Bhuria in 2015 parliament by-elections and also lost in 2018 assembly elections from Petlawad assembly seat.
Observers said that BJP has improved its strength substantially in the tribal dominated seven assembly segments of this parliamentary seat and it already has strong presence in Ratlam city assembly segment since long but surprisingly BJP could win only once from Ratlam-Jhabua parliamentary seat in 2014 general elections when its candidate Dilip Singh Bhuria won defeating Congress candidate Kantilal Bhuria but due to death of Bhuria in 2015 by-elections took place and Congress snatched back the seat from BJP.
BJP which did not have any significant presence till 1980 has improved its strength and in the assembly elections it has succeeded in defeating Congress from every assembly seat in past which enhanced the confidence of the BJP and scenario of fight between Congress and BJP may emerge this time provided BJP leadership and workers take up the challenge in that spirit . The assembly segments of Ratlam parliamentary seat are: Ratlam city, Ratlam rural, Sailana, Jhabua, Thandla, Petlawad, Alirajpur and Jobat.
Congress candidate Kantilal Bhuria has been winning Ratlam-Jhabua parliamentary seat since 1998 except 2014 elections and again Congress has fielded him in the 2019 parliament elections from this seat. Congress candidate Kantilal Bhuria hasn’t got any big threat inside the party which emerged in the 2018 assembly elections when his own son Vikrant Bhuria got defeated as Congress candidate from Jhabua assembly seat as Congress has successfully managed the reentry of the rebel candidate from Jhabua assembly seat Jeveir Meda into the Congress just a fortnight back.
Observers here said that BJP will have to put in very hard work in coming days so as to pose challenge to the Congress candidate. RSS and its allied organisations have worked very effectively in Jhabua and Alirajpur districts and this had already resulted in the party performing much better in the assembly elections. Only question in BJP circle and general public mind taking round is that when BJP can perform better in assembly elections then why it is not performing better in parliament elections? Reply to this question will have to be found by BJP leadership only if it wanted to wrest the Ratlam-Jhabua seat from Congress if new history of this seat is to be created, said observers.
Vote share in assembly elections favours BJP
BJP is in position to challenge Congress as BJP won in three assembly seats, while Congress won in four assembly seats and in three assembly seats the victory margin is also not significant. In 2014 assembly elections BJP had won all eight assembly seats which are part of Ratlam parliamentary seat.
In assembly elections when totaling all the eight assembly seats voting percentage BJP bagged 40.7% votes and Congress bagged 42.1% votes which clearly indicated that base of Congress and BJP is almost equal but Congress has got clear edge past history performance when BJP could win twice in the parliamentary elections held so far since 1951 and twice socialists and in the remaining elections Congress emerged victorious. BJP’s voting base has increased substantially and it may come in the position to pose serious threat to Congress on this seat observers commented.