BJP has been the ruling party in Madhya Pradesh since 2003 and is confident to remain in power in future also, however, the results of the Civic Polls held on 11 Aug speaks something else.
Civic bodies in Madhya Pradesh went for polls on 16 Aug, of the total 43 local bodies, BJP won 26, Congress 14 and three seats were nailed by Independents. BJP had won 29 local bodies in the last election. Congress has increased its tally by five in these polls from the last time. Though BJP won the local polls but the victory of Congress in Mandsaur may increase the tensions for the confident BJP.
Madhya Pradesh had witnessed a violent protest by the farmers in July, demanding for a rise in the minimum support price for all farm products and a complete loan waive off for the farmers and Mandsaur was the epicenter of the agitation. The agitation had come as a surprise for the Shivraj Singh Chauhan government and mishandling of the situation led to all the more troubles and violence. Instead of handling the situation peacefully the police opened firing resulting in the deaths of five farmers which all the more fuled the protest taking the angrey farmers protest to a higher level. The protest went on for quite a number of days and ultimately settled down with the government promising the loan waiver.
However, the ruling BJP seems to have suffered the consequences of the farmers protest as Congress managed to swipe all the seats from Mandsaur, the epicenter of the protest. This victory of Congress though just in a small district can be the ringing alarm for BJP with the Assembly polls just a year away, these could be signs of the party losing ground to the Congress.
The fact that BJP lost three seats, two wards of Shamgar Nagar Panchayat and one ward of Garoth Panchayat- in Mandsaur district should be a matter of concern for the party as the farmers’ agitation had taken place here. BJP has been in power since 2003 and is battling anti-incumbency due to many reasons. The Vyapam scam and the farmers’ unrest have got the Chouhan government a lot of criticism. Even the members of BJP are of the opinion that Shivraj should be replaced as the leader before going to the polls.
A weak and divided Congress in Madhya Pradesh has been BJP’s biggest strength. BJP also has a strong RSS support base throughout MP. Party high command Sonia Gandhi is ensuring that the party leaders do not fight amongst themselves for supremacy as the price of these will be paid by losing the assembly polls. The victory in Mandsaur has given a ray of hope that Congress was in need of to boost the morale of the party members.
Meanwhile, BJP also does not want to leave any matter unattended, though Congress acquired just a few seats but party President Amit Shah is all geared up to make sure that no loop holes are left and BJP celebrates another term in the state. He will be on a three day trip to Madhya Pradesh from August 18 where he will meet party office bearers to discuss ways of increasing the party’s political footprint.
Responding to victory of BJP the party spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said, “Despite repeated claims of the Congress of revival and its continued criticism of the state government, Congress has faced yet another electoral debacle. Rahul Gandhi’s photo politics in Mandsaur has been rebuffed by the people.”