Bhopal: Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is seeking re-election for the fourth consecutive term from Guna. 10 Lok Sabha seats in MP will be voting on April 17. Three Lok Sabha seats of Chhattisgarh, including those of Mahasamund and Rajnadgaon from where former chief minister Ajit Jogi and Chief Minister Raman Singh's son Abhishek are in the fray respectively, are also going to polls on the same day.
Of the 10 constituencies in MP, eight constituencies - Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Sagar, Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho and Bhopal are currently held by the BJP. Only two seats - Guna and Rajgarh - are represented by the Congress. So one can confidently say, even in this era of saffron wave in the state that the Congress has nothing to lose at least in this phase in MP.
An alumnus of Harvard and Stanford Universities and the scion of erstwhile Scindia dynasty of Gwalior kingdom, union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is seeking re-election from Guna for the fourth time. He is pitted against the BJP leader Jaibhan Singh Pavaiya who is an old rival of his late father Madhav Rao Scindia in Guna. Jyotiraditya Scindia had first contested in a by-election from Guna in 2002 after the tragic death of his father in a plane crash. Scindia also won 2004 general election from the same seat and emerged victorious in the last election by a huge margin of nearly 2.50 lakh votes.
Apart from intensive campaign by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi also addressed a public meeting in Shivpuri to wrest this Scindia bastion from the royal family. True, whatsoever may be the party, no member of Scindia family has ever lost an election from this seat. Jyotiraditya Scindia's grandmother Rajmata Viajayaraje Scindia won Guna from 1989 to 1998 as a BJP candidate. In 1999, Madhavrao Scindia was sussessful as the Congress nominee.
Jyotiraditya Scindia's mother Madhvi Raje, wife Priyadarshini Raje and son Mahanaryaman Scindhia have also been campaigning in the area to garner support.
In Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh BJP Chief Narendra Singh Tomar is fighting a tough battle against Congress'Ashok Singh who is a close aide of Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Bhind seat is popular because of bureaucrat-turned politician Bhagirath Prasad who crossed over to the BJP after he was declared candidate of the Congress from the same constituency. He is pitted against Imrati Devi of the Congress. Former Prime Minister Atal Behari vajpayee's nephew Anoop Mishra is contesting from Morena against Govind Singh of the Congress.
Existence of Aam Aadmi Party can be felt only in the state capital, where Bhopal Gas Tragedy activist Rachana Dheengra is contesting against Alok Sanjar of the BJP and P C Sharma of the Congress. Bhopal has been a BJP bastion since 1989.
In Chhattisgarh, three constituencies of Mahasamund, Rajnadgaon and Kanker will go to polls in this phase. All the three seats are currently held by the BJP. Even here, the Congress has nothing to lose. Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi is trying his luck from Mahasamund for the second time. Jogi is facing sitting BJP MP Chandulal Sahu, who is apparently angry over a total of 11 candidates with the same name of Chandulal are in the fray. He is blaming Ajit Jogi for this.
The BJP has fielded Chief Minister Raman Singh's son Abhishek from Rajnadgaon after denying ticket to sitting MP Madhusoodan Yadav. Abhishek is pitted against Kamleshwar Verma of the Congress.
In MP, 1.67 Crore voters will decide the fate of 142 candidates. In Chhattisgarh 45 lakh voters will decide the fate of 50 candidates in this crucial phase. Tight security arrangements have been made in sensitive polling booths in both the states.
MP - 10 Seats
Male - 8995733
Female - 7716647
Others - 426
Service- 9357
NRI Voters: 03
Total - 16722163
General: 08
SC: 02
Female - 11
Bhopal - 28 candidates
Rajgarh - 6 candidates
Largest seat by voters wise - Bhopal - 1955379 Electors
Smallest voters wise - Sagar - 1519304 Electors
Polling personnel - 150336
Polling stations - 18792
Control Units - 21120
Ballot Units - 29607
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