BHOPAL: For 84-year-old veteran politician and former finance minister of Madhya Pradesh, Raghavji, opting out of the race for the Vidisha Lok Sabha seat in the 1991 Lok Sabha elections to make way for party stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is the most treasured moment of his political career.The two time ex-Lok Sabha member, former Rajya Sabha member and also ex-MLA from Vidisha, the octogenarian leader’s name was finalized for the Vidisha parliamentary seat by the BJP Parliamentary Board in the 1991 polls.
“The parliamentary board finalized my name for Vidisha, as I had won the seat in 1989, while Atal’s name was finalized for Lucknow Lok Sabha seat. But the party top brass in New Delhi thought that Lucknow was a risky seat for Atal, due to which he should contest from another seat elsewhere,” Raghavji told TNIE.
The party asked senior MP leaders, including Kushabhau Thakre and Sunderlal Patwa, to decide the best option for Vajpayee. “They told the central party leadership about Vidisha being a potent option and it was communicated to Atal too. Atal responded positively, not because Vidisha was a safe seat, but he told the party clearly that he was opting for Vidisha as second seat because during the previous polls I had written to him requesting him to contest from Vidisha, whenever he wanted to contest again from MP,” said Raghavji.
Vajpayee had lost from Gwalior to Congress candidate Madhavrao Scindia in 1984 Lok Sabha polls.
“I had already filled the nomination form from Vidisha and party top brass was apprehensive about how I would feel when told not to contest from the seat, I had won in 1989. But much to their surprise, when they communicated the change of plans, I was the happiest man and told them that I was fortunate to be making way for our hero Atal.”
Raghavji still remembers how Vajpayee’s nomination form from Vidisha was filled at his residence after his daughter performed a grand ‘arti’ of the leader at Raghavji’s house. “I consider it the biggest day of my political career,” Raghavji said.“He stayed five days in Vidisha and addressed around 25 public meetings, where we often addressed him as future PM, which he strongly objected to. He won from both Lucknow and Vidisha, the latter by over one lakh votes. He, however, vacated the Vidisha seat a few weeks later, but remained connected to me, often enquiring about the well-being of Vidisha,” maintained Raghavji.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also recounted Vajpayee’s 1991 triumph from Vidisha. “I was the state president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and it was my luck that I was one of those who worked for Atal’s poll triumph from the seat which I represented in the Lok Sabha, after it was vacated by him,” Chouhan said.Visibly sad over the demise of the former PM, the MP CM added that being given the nickname Vidishapati by Atal was perhaps the biggest appreciation he received in his life.
Vidisha a BJP citadel for all time
■ Represented in Lok Sabha by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Vidisha is a BJP stronghold.
■ It has been won by various BJP leaders, including Shivraj Singh Chouhan (five times), Raghavji (once) and Sushma Swaraj twice since 1989.