BHOPAL: With an eye on regaining Congress’s lost citadel, Jhabua assembly seat, from the BJP by a big margin, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath embarked on a mega 18-km roadshow in Jhabua town on Wednesday.
A day after Navratra-Dussehra festivities ended, Chief Minister and Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath embarked on a road-show from Gopalpura airstrip to Kalyanpura area of Jhabua district.
It was the second road-show by CM Kamal Nath within nine days in the assembly constituency where by-election is slated on October 21. Prior to this, Nath had embarked on a road-show in the constituency on September 30 during the nomination filing process of Congress candidate and ex-union Kantilal Bhuria.
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The road-show ended with an election rally in Kalyanpura, where the CM and state Congress chief sprung a surprise on the saffron party by welcoming 100 BJP workers into the Congress fold.
He had a meeting behind the rally’s stage with key ministers of the state, including Surendra Singh Baghel and PC Sharma about the poll strategy and execution on ground.
Addressing the public meeting, the CM said that in the eight-months of Congress regime, work done can be seen by all, particularly the works done for tribals and farmers.
“I promise you that we’ll give in 15 months to you a much better MP which the BJP regime failed to give in 15 years,” said Nath, while soliciting support of the electorate in his and Congress party’s name.
“I’ll write a new history for Jhabua, but before this people of Jhabua should create a history by making the Congress candidate winner by huge margin,” said Nath.
The rival BJP, meanwhile, acted against rebel candidate Kalyan Singh Damor, expelling him from the party for not withdrawing from electoral fray. Damor who was a contender for BJP ticket was also the state convener of BJP’s Swachhta program. He is still in the poll fray as independent.
Importantly, the BJP which is fighting dissidence from Damor, had won last two polls (2013 and 2018) against Congress largely due to presence of rebel Congress candidates in the fray. The young BJP candidate Bhanu Bhuria, (who has been fielded against the old warhorse Kantilal Bhuria), too had contested the 2008 elections from the same Jhabua seat as an independent candidate.
The Congress is particularly focusing on Jhabua by-election as a win there would take it just one seat short of simple majority of 116 seats in Vidhan Sabha, reducing its dependence on seven allies (independents, BSP and SP MLAs).