Vidisha: Rahul Pal, 20, had come to watch a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) election rally in his home town Sanchi, known for its Buddha monastery. For him, the contest is between a known leader, BJP’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan popularly known as Mamaji and a relatively unknown leader, Congress’s Pratap Bhanu Sharma. “This election is for the country not for local issues. We want a tough leader who can take our country forward,” he said, highlighting unemployment as the biggest issue for him.
Chouhan is the longest-serving chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for 18 years between 2005 and 2023.
Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now!
Some distance away, Leena Bai, a beneficiary of the state government’s monthly allowance of Rs.1,250 scheme under Ladli Behna, has more clarity on her voting choice. “I don’t know anything about what is happening in the country. I will go for voting on May 7 as I became financially independent because of Shivraj Bhaiya.”
A vegetable vendor, Narayani Kori, 24, however, said that the government has failed to address the basic issues of employment and water. “I tried hard but didn’t get a house under the PM Housing Scheme [Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana]. My husband is not getting work under MNREGA or any other scheme. In this election I will ask Shivraj Bhaiya what he will do for us?” she said.
Also Read: HT interview: No fight in MP; sure Modi will be PM again, says Chouhan
Contesting from Vidisha, Chouhan seeks his return to Lok Sabha after 20 years even as some people have questioned the government over Vidisha being among the 100 most backward districts in the state.
Since 1967, when the constituency came into existence, Congress won Vidisha only twice in 1980 and 1984 by present Congress candidate Pratap Bhanu Sharma. Chouhan has won the Vidisha seat five times in the past from 1991 to 2004.
Leaders like Ramnath Goenka, former Prime Minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former external affairs minister Late Sushma Swaraj had also won from here. Chouhan won from Vidisha five times becoming chief minister in 2005. Meanwhile, in the assembly election held last year, out of the eight assembly seats, the BJP won seven, which indicates another indicator of its dominance.
Unlike other constituencies, where the BJP is raising issue of bulldozer justice, Congress giving reservation to Muslims, and redistribution of wealth, Chouhan is raising local issues and contesting on ‘sarvadharma sadbhav’.
Chouhan, 65, held a rally in the constituency on Friday, where he interacted with the people over local issues. He also hugged Muslim men, women, and children. For Chouhan, the main poll plank is the schemes launched by him for women and children in 18 years when he was the chief minister.
Even in speeches from a chariot, he assures people that they will get everything as their “brother” is working for them. “I have decided to save a girl child so I started the scheme, Ladli Laxmi. I wanted to make my sister self-reliant so I started the Ladli Behna scheme and now I want to see all my sisters Lakhpati and that’s why I am here. Vote for your brother so that he can fulfil your dream,” he said in Sanchi during a public gathering on April 29.
Also Read: Morena: BJP relies heavily on defections to protect three-decade long stronghold
The constituency spread over 300 square km is full of BJP posters and flags, and there is hardly a pictorial presence of Sharma, the Congress candidate fielded against Chouhan.
Sharma, 77, who won his last election 33 years ago, speaking about Chouhan’s rally in Vidisha, said, “Nothing will happen by hugging Muslims or displaying money power. I want to ask Chouhan what he did for Vidisha for 18 years when he was the CM. Vidisha being the most backward district shows that Shivraj has failed to perform”.
According to political analyst Girija Shankar, in Vidisha, Chouhan is contesting to increase the margin of win for the BJP whereas Sharma is not even trying to give a tough fight. “Chouhan fights every election seriously so he is contesting this election too in a serious manner but in his own style.”
