Both the Congress and the BJP are preparing to vie for the Dalit vote in the Gwalior-Chambal division where six of the 16 Assembly seats due for by-election by September are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC).

The Rajya Sabha election to three seats on Friday — two went to the BJP owing to its Assembly strength — became a flashpoint, with both the parties trading barbs. The BJP accused the Congress of ignoring backward communities by relegating Phool Singh Baraiya, an SC candidate, to the second preference. Whereas, the Congress rubbished the charge and asserted the leader was in fact slated for a bigger role in the by-election.

“Not just regionally but socially also it speaks of Congress’ preferences. A former Chief Minister is preferred to a party worker from the marginal sections of society,” Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, BJP vice president and incharge for Madhya Pradesh, told The Hindu.“The preference symbolises Congress’ policy of garib hatao (weed out the poor) and not garibi hatao (weed out poverty).”

By-election to 22 of the 24 seats (two vacant owing to deaths) became imminent after former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia switched over to the BJP along with Congress MLAs, precipitating the fall of the Congress government. The BJP fielded Mr. Scindia and Sumer Singh Solanki, a tribal face, in the Rajya Sabha election rescheduled from March 26 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reduced numbers

Whereas, the Congress, left with reduced numbers, chose former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh as its preferred nominee. “We nominated Mr. Baraiya when the party was sure of bagging two seats. So, there is no question of ignoring anyone,” said Jitu Patwari, working president, State Congress. “The BJP toppled our government through a conspiracy, and voters will teach them a lesson in the by-election.”

A Congress source said Mr. Baraiya, formerly Bahujan Samaj Party State president who switched over ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha election, would bolster Congress’s prospects in the division in securing the Dalit vote. “He is likely to be fielded as a candidate from Bhander in Datia which he won on a BSP ticket in 1998 as the party’s face in the region,” the source said.

The BJP would go into contest riding on the plank of Congress “ignoring backward communities”, said State spokesman Hitesh Bajpai.