Voters divided, Bhopal a close call

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 1

It seems a close call between controversial BJP candidate Sadhvi Pragya Thakur Singh and her equally controversial rival Digvijay Singh of the Congress in Bhopal that goes to the polls on May 11.

It is said Digvijay was virtually “cornered” into contesting from Bhopal by his rivals witin the Congress, a claim that his confidants reject. It also appears that Pragya too was not BJP’s first choice for a city known for its dislike for “abrasive behaviour”.

Before the Election Commission’s 72-hour ban today, the ‘Sadhvi’seemed to have had an edge over her Congress rival, who reportedly lost some amount of goodwill he had earned owing to his dignified response to Pragya’s provocative remark against the late ATS chief Hemant Karkare, by announcing that CPI’s Begusarai candidate Kanhaiya Kumar would be coming to his support, says political observer LN Shital.

With the Digvijay camp saying Kanhaiya Kumar will not canvass for him, the contest now is evenly poised. But questions are being raised whether the BJP needed Pragya to win Madhya Pradesh.

In the words of Jitendra Yadav, a youth employed in the hospitality sector, in 2014 BJP’s Alok Sanjar won the seat even when hardly anyone knew him. "People voted for (PM) Modi". Sanjar won Bhopal with a whopping 7,14, 75 votes, garnering 63.19 per cent of the vote share while Congress' PC Sharma, whowas placed third, polled 3,43,482 votes (30.39 pc). The BJP has not lost the seat since 1989 and young voters like Yadav believe it would have won the seat even without Pragya.

Having turned Bhopal into a prestige issue against Digvijaya, a leader with a sound cadre support, saffron leaders are not taking any chances. Everyone in the party knows that losing Bhopal will not go down well with the Sangh. "Sadhvi is a Sangh candidate. The BJP is using her to further its agenda," explains Shital. It is clear the BJP wanted to prove a point when it fielded Pragya against Digvijaya, not just in Bhopal or MP but the entire country, says Vijay Wate, a former DGP. "Bhopal is among the most important seats in these elections. The results here will reflect where the country is headed, whether or not the Hindus are fanatics," he observes.

Bhopal is known for its mild-mannered people, says Shital. "When in May 2016, eight SIMI activists were shot dead after they escaped from a prison, the worst was feared. Despite perceptible anger in the minority community, the situation remained normal. People in Bhopal, whether Hindus are Muslims, are cosmopolitan in nature.They frown on aggressive behaviour.

“I will not say that the Sadhvi is disliked, but she is certainly less liked) even in the cadres There could have been a better choice but it seems the RSS and the BJP wanted to prove a point and wash off mud with mud,” says Shital.

LOT AT STAKE

• A lot depends on the outcome of this fierce contest for both the BJP and the Congress
• It is believed if the BJP does well in Madhya Pradesh and forms government at the Centre, it would spell doom for the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in the state
• If Sadhvi loses, she loses nothing. If she wins, the BJP & Sangh would have made their point. That's why Digvijay is doing all to prove he's a staunch, practising Hindu