230 MLAs As Observers: BJP Leaders From Gujarat Focus On Tribal Seats In Madhya Pradesh

230 BJP MLAs hailing from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar are in Madhya Pradesh under Vidhayak Pravas Karyakram to visit an assembly seat each before the upcoming state elections.

These leaders convened for a one-day workshop in Bhopal on Saturday (19 August), after which they went to their designated constituencies on a fact-finding mission.

This endeavor aims to compile a comprehensive ground report on each constituency. The objective is to equip the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government with the means to counter any potential anti-incumbency sentiment.

Among the group, 48 leaders come from Gujarat. A prominent Gujarat MLA en route to Madhya Pradesh told Indian Express that these leaders will be assigned roles as "observers and inspectors" in each constituency.

Their mandate involves bolstering macro-planning activities that have previously proven effective for the BJP in Gujarat. The leaders will immerse themselves in the field for a week, engaging with local leadership to comprehend the unique requirements of each constituency.

This on-the-ground interaction will enable them to formulate effective planning and strategies for the party. The MLA from Gujarat explained that these leaders will act as observers, collecting the "aspirations" of local leaders and aiding the party leadership by suggesting potential candidates.

For many Gujarat MLAs, this "ground-reality check" represents a novel experience, despite some past involvement in election campaigns in other states.

A legislator from Vadodara district, Ketan Inamdar, mentioned that though he had participated in the party's campaigns in Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, and MP before, this was his first time being entrusted with the responsibility of strategic planning.

Inamdar's assigned task is the Rau constituency in Indore district, where the Congress secured victory in the last two elections. Rau holds significant importance for the BJP, and its candidate Madhu Verma, the former chairperson of the Indore Development Authority, will contend to overturn the 2018 loss to the Congress's former state Higher Education Minister Jitu Patwari by a margin of fewer than 6,000 votes. Patwari also won the seat in 2013.

A senior BJP MLA from Gujarat's tribal belt noted that the party anticipates replicating its Gujarat success in MP's tribal constituencies, considering the potential impact of the state's election results on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP has strategically chosen leaders to act as "neutral observers" in constituencies where they have never been before. Of the 48 Gujarat MLAs, 18 have been assigned Scheduled Tribe (ST) seats. These constituencies include areas where the Congress triumphed in 2018.

The leaders' mission is to aid the BJP in reclaiming control of these seats, banking on the successful development-driven narrative that worked in the 2022 Gujarat Assembly polls.

Gujarat's Minister of State for Tribal Development Nimisha Suthar is in Pansemal, former Rajya Sabha MP Manu Patel in Petlawad, Shailesh Bhabhor in Alirajpur, Chaitanya Desai in Jhabua, and Mahesh Bhuriya in Kukshi are prominent figures looking over ST seats.

The tribal constituencies of Alirajpur, Jhabua, Petlawad, and Kukshi are anticipated to witness fiercely contested battles. In Alirajpur, the BJP's Nagar Singh Chauhan, who is running once again, faced a defeat against the Congress's Mukesh Rawat by approximately 22,000 votes in 2018.

In Jhabua, although the BJP triumphed in 2013 and 2018, the party conceded the 2019 bypoll to the Congress's Kantilal Bhuriya following incumbent MLA Guman Singh Damor's elevation to the Lok Sabha.

In the adjoining Petlawad, the BJP nominated Nirmala Bhuriya, daughter of former Lok Sabha MP Dilip Singh Bhuriya, even though she encountered a 5,000-vote loss to the Congress in 2018.

For over 15 years, Kukshi in Dhar district has stood as a Congress stronghold. In 2018, the party secured victory with a margin of 63,000 votes. In the upcoming election, the BJP plans to introduce a newcomer, Jaydeep Patel, as its candidate.

Five of the Gujarat MLAs are in Ratlam district. Of these, two are ST seats- Chetanyasingh Zala (MLA from Padra) has been assigned Ratlam rural constituency and Arvind Rana (MLA from Surat East) is in Sailana constituency.

The BJP's endeavor also extends to Scheduled Caste-reserved seats lost to the Congress five years ago, with leaders like Hardik Patel and Payal Kukrani actively participating in organizational activities to gauge grassroots sentiments.

Keyur Rokadia, the ex-mayor of Vadodara and Sayajigunj MLA, designated for Indore-2, conveyed to Indian Express, "Our involvement will encompass engagement in grassroots organizational activities, connecting with party associations and supporters to gauge the prevailing sentiments. Subsequently, we intend to relay our observations and insights to the party."

On the other side, the Congress has begun planning its strategy by assigning observers for vulnerable seats in Madhya Pradesh.

Among the 106 finalized candidates, 66 are slated to contest in constituencies that the party has not secured in the last three assembly elections. These areas are known strongholds of the BJP. 

The party's list of 29 observers includes 10 leaders from Gujarat as well, who will serve as vital intermediaries between local leaders and the high command, aiming to resolve localized issues and replicate successful strategies.

Gujarat Congress unit vice-president Bimal Shah has been given the charge of Hoshangabad, MLA and former Lok Sabha MP Tushar Chaudhary of Dhar, former Gujarat Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani of Jabalpur, and vice-chairman of Amul Dairy Rajendrasinh Parmar of Tikamgarh.

This proactive approach from both major parties sets the stage for a competitive political landscape in Madhya Pradesh as the state gears up for the upcoming elections.

Swarajya had earlier reported about a similar strategy of BJP for the Rajasthan assembly elections where 200 MLAs from Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh will visit the state.