Bhopal is a key stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has not lost a seat since 1989, but what may make things somewhat easier for the Congress is that Mr. Sharma won Congress’s Atiq ticket in last year’s assembly elections. He lost to Mr. Aquel.
This is where the Bharatiya Janata Party’s electoral machinery comes into play, says Rashid Kidwai, a senior political analyst, author and Bhopal resident. “In the state elections, Alok Sharma stood as a candidate from a minority-majority constituency in north Bhopal. Now, Sharma has broadened his appeal to cover Bhopal’s wider demographics. He is a minority They are saying that the majority community should vote him into power because he lost in the seat,” Kidwai explains.
In Indore, the state’s financial hub, the Congress faces tough challenges. It has suffered setbacks in recent months, with key leaders such as Pankaj Sanghvi, Sanjay Shukla and Vishal Patel defecting to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The BJP has re-nominated veteran Shankar Lalwani, who effectively defeated Sanghvi in 2019 by a margin of 547,000 votes. This time, the council recommended a new person. He is a social worker and businessman whose family is involved in educational management. institution.
According to parliamentary insiders, Bambu’s candidacy came up after some senior leaders expressed reluctance to run. But Bambu is undaunted, pointing out that historically Indore has been known for producing surprises.
“Be it Kalyan Jain in 1977 or Sumitra Mahajan in 1989, there have been surprises in Indore. The city has provided opportunities for newcomers to have their voices represented in Parliament,” Bhambu said. insists.
He went on to criticize some of the BJP’s flagship schemes, pointing out that despite the party’s claims of success, certain schemes lack sufficient benefits for the poor. “Take Ayushman Bharat as an example. Are tests required for treatment covered? Farmers are not receiving adequate minimum support prices for their crops. “The dependence on rationing is alarming and indicates a lack of employment opportunities,” he says.
The BJP is expected to win in both cities and win several seats across Madhya Pradesh, but the lack of a clear and significant opposition poses challenges for the party. Kidwai explains that this prompted Modi to hold a rally in Bhopal two weeks before the May 7 polling date.
“While this move may have perplexed political observers and activists, the rationale behind it lies in the strong presence of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Jana Sangh and RSS in Madi Bharat. The rally can be interpreted as his way of assuring them of his support, even though the BJP is likely to win,” Kidwai explained.
He further pointed out that the rally was also aimed at boosting the morale of RSS cadres, especially in the wake of reports of dissatisfaction with the induction of over 50,000 Congress workers. “There was some apprehension within the BJP-RSS network about co-opting so many individuals from the opposition camp and giving them positions,” Kidwai added.
