Vidisha: Rahul Pal, 20, came to watch a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) election rally in his hometown of Sanchi, known for its Buddhist temples. For him, the contest pits a well-known leader, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan, popularly known as Mamaji, against a relatively unknown leader, the National between Pratap Bhanu Sharma of the major parties. “This election is about the country and not about local issues. We need a strong leader who can take our country forward,” he said, highlighting unemployment as the biggest problem facing him.
Chouhan is the longest-serving chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, serving for 18 years from 2005 to 2023.
In the distance, Leena Bai, a beneficiary of the Rs 1,250 monthly stipend scheme of the state government under Ladli Behna, got a clearer idea of her voting choice. “I have no idea what is happening in this country. I will go vote on May 7 because Shivraj Bhaiya has made me financially independent.”
However, Narayani Kori, a 24-year-old vegetable vendor, said the government has failed to address basic issues such as jobs and water. “I tried hard but couldn’t find a house under the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme [Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana]. My husband did not find a job under MNREGA or any other scheme. In this election, I will ask Shivraj Bhaiya what will he do for us? ” she says.
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Despite questions over the government’s listing of Vidisha as one of the 100 most backward districts in the state, Chouhan is seeking to return to the Lok Sabha after 20 years.
Since the formation of the constituency in 1967, the Congress has won Vidisha only twice, in 1980 and 1984, won by the current Congress candidate Pratap Bhanu Sharma. Chouhan won the Vidisha seat five times from 1991 to 2004.
Leaders like Ramnath Goenka, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj have also won from here. In 2005, Chouhan defeated Vidisha five times and became the chief minister. Meanwhile, in the assembly elections held last year, the BJP once again demonstrated its dominance by winning seven out of eight assembly seats.
Unlike other constituencies, where the BJP raised issues like bulldozing justice, Congress granting reservation to Muslims and redistribution of wealth, Chouhan raised local issues and campaigned on ‘sarvadharma Sadbhav’.
Chouhan, 65, held a rally in the constituency on Friday to interact with people on local issues. He also embraced Muslim men, women and children. For Chouhan, the main poll takeaway is the schemes for women and children he launched during his 18 years as chief minister.
Even speaking from the chariot, he assured the people that they would get everything because their “brothers” were working for them. “I decided to save a girl so I started this program, Ladli Laxmi. I wanted to make my sister self-reliant so I started Ladli Behna program and now I want to meet all my sisters Lakhpati that’s why I am here .Vote for your brother and let him realize your dreams,” he said at a public rally in Sanchi on April 29.
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The constituency, which covers more than 300 square kilometers, is dotted with posters and flags of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and there are almost no pictures of Sharma, the Congress candidate who opposes Chouhan.
Sharma, 77, who won the last election 33 years ago, said of Chouhan’s rally in Vidisha: “Nothing will happen by embracing Muslims or showing money power. I want to ask Chouhan when he What he has done for Vidisha in his 18 years as CM is that Vidisha is the most backward district, which shows Shivraj’s poor performance.”
Political analyst Girija Shankar said in Vidisha that Chouhan is trying to improve the BJP’s margin of victory while Sharma is not even trying to fight a tough fight. “Chouhan contests every election seriously, so he is contesting this election in a serious way, but in his own style.”