Issues like corruption, unemployment, price spiral and social disparity have taken a back seat in Madhya Pradesh with charges and counter charges by both key rivals – the Congress and the BJP hogging all news space in the media. While the Congress has spent much of its energy in calling BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi a supercilious pretender for power the BJP is preoccupied with anti-Congress rhetoric.In its campaign the Congress failed to exploit the growing crime and corruption through the BJP’s decade-long rule in the state.
The stakes are high for both parties and each is claiming advantage from the changed voting pattern. Most constituencies which saw heavy polling during the assembly elections experienced a substantial drop in Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP held all but two of the ten constituencies that went to poll on Thursday. Growing temperatures sapped the voters’ enthusiasm. The first phase of polling a week ago saw the overall turnout touching 60 per cent. The figures for Thursday’s could barely touch 55 per cent.
With over 62 per cent participation in Guna the battle seems keenly poised between the key Congress contestant Jyotiraditya cindia and Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya of the BJP. Gunahas been projected as final frontier for the BJP and main hope for the Congress. Bhind recorded the lowest percentage of 45.16 which doesn’t augur well for the BJP. It had engineered the defection of Congress candidate Bhagirath Prasad who faced a hostile reception in the party. In the humble Imarti Devi the Congress found a strong rival for Prasad. Though the voter participation is marginally higher than 2009, it was down five to seven per cent in different constituencies as compared to November assembly elections.The BJP claims that Bhind has traditionally been a low polling constituency. The highest turnout of 63.4 per cent was recorded in Rajgarh where both former chief minister Digvijay Singh and the incumbent Shivraj Singh have staked their prestige.
BJP walked away with a huge advantage in assembly elections. The Congress hopes to turn the tide due to the tensions within the BJP. Factional rivalry is, however, reflected in the BJP candidates’ choice of campaigners. They are no longer keen on old guard campaigning for them. More so if they are not favourably disposed towards Modi. Most rallies of senior leaders L K Advani, Kailash Joshi and SunderalPatwa have been cancelled.
Pawaiya amply reflected this mood when leader of the Opposition SushamaSwarajcame to campaign for him at Shivpuri. After the local leaders failed to show up to receive her Swaraj called off the Shivpuri meeting and flew to Ashoknagar where Pawaiya was engaged in another rally. She did address the rally at Ashoknagar but not before givingPawaiya a piece of her mind in full view of the media and public. The scene left a bad taste for the public considering Swaraj is herself contesting from neighbouring Vidisha, once part of Guna constituency.
BJP leadership has defied the mood within the party in selecting candidates for Sagar, Bhopal, Rajgarh, Khajuraho, Morena, Bhind andDamoh. The results here would test the claims about Modi wave.Modi himself cut down the number of his rallies in the state. Chouhan has pitched in for him. The Congress on the other hand has few stars lighting up the campaign trail. Rahul and Sonia Gandhi have just four to five rallies each.
Comments
0 comment