Bhopal. Candidates of both the major parties BJP and Congress have been declared for Budhni and Vijaypur assembly seats in the state. The candidates in BJP were already almost certain but Congress has tried to solve the caste equations.
Actually, by-elections for Budhni and Vijaypur assembly seats are to be held in the state on 13th November. The process of filing nominations has started from 18th November which will continue till 25th November. Candidates have been announced by major parties BJP and Congress. BJP has fielded Ramakant Bhargava from Budhni and Ramnivas Rawat from Vijaypur Assembly. Whereas Congress has given ticket to Mukesh Malhotra from Rajkumar Patel Assembly constituency from Budhni.
The candidates in BJP were almost already decided. If there were no guidelines of familism in Budhni, Karthikeya Chauhan would have been made the candidate. After this, the name of Ramakant Bhargava was at the top. Ramakant Bhargava, MP from Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency, is considered close to former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. It was certain that Ramniwas Rawat would contest the Vijaypur assembly seat because during the Lok Sabha elections, Ramniwas Rawat had left Congress and joined BJP. Later he was also made a minister.
However, on Saturday, BJP had declared candidates for the by-elections of Budhni and Vijaypur assembly and by Sunday evening, Congress has also declared candidates for both the seats. On Budhni assembly seat, Congress has expressed confidence in Rajkumar Patel, who was MLA in 1993. Let us tell you here that when Sushma Swaraj was contesting from Vidisha Lok Sabha seat, Congress had nominated Rajkumar Patel as its candidate but at the same time Rajkumar Patel could not submit the B form and Sushma Swaraj got the upper hand. Since then Rajkumar Patel was the party’s candidate. He was trying to win trust and has again expressed trust in the party by making Patel a candidate in the by-election.
Rajkumar Patel’s elder brother Dev Kumar Patel has also been MLA from Budhni assembly constituency in 1998. The Patel family has a strong hold in the Budhni area. Rajkumar Patel can also benefit from caste equation. Perhaps this is why Congress has expressed confidence in Patel. Meanwhile, Congress has made Mukesh Malhotra its candidate for the by-election of the second Vijaypur assembly seat. Malhotra has been the chairman of Sahariya Development Authority in the BJP government.
But due to not getting a ticket in the 2023 assembly elections, he contested the elections as an independent and stood third. Mehrotra had then got around 45,000 votes. Malhotra belongs to the Sahariya community and Vijaypur assembly constituency has around 70,000 tribal voters. Congress has made Malhotra its candidate due to his activism and strength in the tribal area.
Overall, the faces of BJP and Congress have come forward for the by-elections of Budhni and Vijaypur assembly. While BJP has put forward almost fixed faces, Congress has tried to challenge BJP by using caste equations.