Vidisha, 65 kilometers away from the state capital hardly makes headlines. But with the hype of ongoing State assembly Elections that is scheduled for November 28, the sleepy village again in the news in the light of the recent statement of BJP MP and Union Minister, Sushma Swaraj.
Sushma Swaraj, seven-time Parliamentarian who is serving her second term as an MP of Vidisha recently said that ‘she is willing not to contest the upcoming General Elections of 2019 citing her health issues and leave it to the party to take a final call‘. Sushma’s statement was taken by surprise by many local BJP leaders and the workers. While many of then upset more than being surprised. Vidisha, a sleepy village mainly famous for its agricultural activities has been the hotbed of BJP’s rule.
Sushma Swaraj has won here in 2009 for the first time with 3.75 lakh votes, while in 2014 she bagged the Vidisha seat with over 4 lakh vote margin. Though the leader had won handsomely both the times, it does not share a good rapport with the local state Unit, claims BJP insider. Many of her close-aide have been ignored in the ticket distribution for the upcoming state assembly elections.
If insider of the party to believe, the Lok Sabha seat which has been held by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan many times kept Sushma away from the MP politics just like he manages to sideline Uma Bharti from the state politics. CM Shivraj find this as a big deal to cope up with the prominent faces send by Delhi Headquarters in the state. A BJP who don’t want to be named questioned the timing of the Sushma’s Statement and said, “ She could have won from here again comfortably even without visiting the place and if she doesn’t want to contest then she can inform this year next but why now during a crucial phase of assembly polls”. Clearly, there is something more than, than it hides, he added
Many Local BJP supporters said that high profile leaders come to win an election here and then forget about it.
She gradually started losing interest in her Vidisha constituency as she would visit Videsh (foreign land) more often than Vidisha. Her visits became infrequent. “We had big expectations of Vidisha’s growth under a powerful union minister but it remains backward as it was decades back,” complained a local trader, citing the example of Kamalnath who transformed the face of his constituency Chhindwara. “We are quite upset for being treated like this by her,” a farm equipment dealer commented.
Vidisha has always been a stronghold for BJP, current CM Shivraj has been an MP, MLA from this place. Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had once elected as an MP from the place in 1991 but later vacated it in favor of Lucknow, as he has contested from two Parliamentary seats.