Congress show of strength before bypolls in Madhya Pradesh
The gathering was to mark the filing of nomination papers by its candidates but the nearly six-hour raodshows became a signal, at least for the party’s supporters, of the times ahead.
It was a show of unity and strength by the Congress as party’s top leaders from Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday gathered at two separate roadshows ahead of the February 24 bypolls in Kolaras (Shivpuri) and Mungaoli (Ashok Nagar) assembly constituencies.
The gathering was to mark the filing of nomination papers by its candidates but the nearly six-hour raodshows became a signal, at least for the party’s supporters, of the times ahead.
Since the farmers’ meet in Lahaar, Bhind, in July last year, which was lined up by several top Congress leaders, no other rally had seen so many Congress leaders sharing the stage.
Buoyed by its recent victory in Chitrakoot assembly by-election in November, an upbeat Congress’s display of unity on Wednesday is being seen as a continuation of momentum, according to political observers.
Madhya Pradesh will likely go to the polls this November.
Those headlining the roadshows included party’s chief whip in Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Union ministers Kamal Nath, Suresh Pachauri and Kantilal Bhuria, state president Arun Yadav, leader of Opposition Ajay Singh, and state affairs in-charge Deepak Bawaria, all of whom drove in an open jeep with the candidates in a convoy of over 200 vehicles.
Both assembly segments are considered to be strongholds of Scindia as it falls under the Guna-Shivpuri Lok Sabha constituency he represents. Also, both the candidates, Mahendra Singh Yadav (Kolaras) and Brijesh Singh Yadav (Mungaoli), are staunch Scindia loyalists.
Chaudhary Ramesh Yadav, a supporter from Kurwai, around 60km from Mungaoli, said, “This was not an opportunity to be missed for any Congress supporter. It is after a long time that we got to see so many Congress leaders sharing the same stage.”
Speaking to journalists in Guna, Scindia said the BJP government was bound to be dislodged in the assembly elections due to its “misrule”. He said the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government lack of seriousness in dealing with issues regarding the safety of women has created an unfavourable atmosphere for them. He also accused the government of making “false promises” to the people of Kolaras and Mungaoli constituencies “in the name of development”.
He alleged that the government was trying to lure the voters and also threatening them but the people would give a befitting reply to it on February 24.