GG News Bureau
Bhopal, 24th Oct. The upcoming poll contest in the Badnawar assembly seat of Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district has become interesting as two arch rivals from the BJP and Congress have switched sides to compete against each other for the third time.
Locals have coined a new phrase – “Ummeedwar wahi, par party nayi” (same candidate, but with a new party) – to discuss this development.
The main competition in the seat is between BJP leader Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon (51), who is the state Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion Minister, and Congress candidate Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat (72).
Both leaders belong to the Rajput community and have faced each other in the previous state assembly polls.
In addition to the Rajput community, the tribal and Patidar communities also play a significant role in determining the poll result in this seat, which has around 2.21 lakh voters.
Dattigaon, who is considered close to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, was one of the 22 rebel MLAs who left the Congress and joined the BJP in 2020. This move led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath government, and the BJP returned to power in the state under the leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Shekhawat, on the other hand, quit the ruling BJP on September 2 this year and joined the opposition Congress. He is now contesting on the Congress ticket against BJP candidate Dattigaon in Badnawar.
Dattigaon criticized Shekhawat for not being present in the constituency during the COVID-19 outbreak and not showing concern for the well-being of the people.
He also claimed that the Congress failed to find a suitable local candidate for Badnawar, highlighting the state of affairs in the party.
Shekhawat won the Badnawar seat as a BJP candidate in the 2013 assembly polls but was defeated by Dattigaon in the 2018 elections.
Shekhawat dismissed the notion of being an outsider in Badnawar and emphasized his familiarity with the area. He criticized the BJP, claiming that the party has deviated from its original principles and is solely focused on gaining power.
Dattigaon has been seeking support from voters by highlighting his achievements in education, health, road construction, and industrial projects that generate employment.
Shekhawat, on the other hand, has promised to channelize Narmada river water to the region through a pipeline and complete all development works, especially in tribal areas, which were left unfinished during his previous tenure as a BJP MLA.
Overall, the poll contest in Badnawar has become intriguing due to the switch of candidates between the BJP and Congress.
The two leaders, representing different parties, are competing for the third time, and their campaigns focus on their respective achievements and promises for the constituency.
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