For last few days this area witnessed massive mobilisation of followers of Congress and supporters of Scindia-BJP combine. Several programmes were jointly addressed by Scindia and Chief Minister Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan, Both Scindia and Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed that thousands of Congress members have joined the BJP.

Both also claimed that the Congress workers left the party because they were angry because of the Kamal Nath government failed to implement promises which the Congress gave through their Vachan Patra. Congress workers were also angry because the state leadership did not give due importance to Scindia who was largely responsible for the rout of the BJP in this region. Those who joined the BJP charged that the then CM Kamal Nath failed to waive farmers’ loan.

To refute these charges and also to tell people the facts former Chief Minister Kamal Nath sent a team to Gwalior. The team consisted of former speaker Narmada Prasad Prajapati and half a dozen former Ministers. They carried a Pen Drive which was given to them by Kamal Nath . The Pen Drive gave details about the loan waiver. Later in Bhopal Kamal Nath, interacting with media said “They (Jyotiraditya Scindia MLAs and BJP) allege that there was no loan waiver. Now, I have a pen-drive which shows we have waived loans of 26 Lakh farmers across the state with details of their names, bank account numbers and amount of loan waiver”.

“In Gwalior they made many claims. Those who organised and held functions of loan waiver schemes are now saying that there was no farm loan waive and that is why they left the Congress party” Nath said.

The former Union minister said that in the past four months he tried to strengthen the Congress’ organisation. “I know that our fight is against BJP’s organisation and not against their achievements. Because BJP has no achievements” Nath said.

“The upcoming election is not a by-poll. I don’t consider it even a general election. The election is specifically related to the future of the state. It is extremely important” Nath said.

Nath said that by-polls are a contest between the 15 years of BJP rule versus the 15-month Congress regime. He defended that his government did not even get the full 15 months to work because more than two months were spent in the Lok Sabha elections.

“People should judge us by our policies and intention. Don’t support Kamal Nath or the Congress party, but support the truth, understand the truth and support it” Nath said.

The former CM alleged that the by-polls in 27 seats is being held after disgracing of the state. “Just think how much the state has been disgraced with the politics of allurement and deals. A government has been formed through auctioning. They (the rebel MLAs who left) say work was not done in their constituencies and I did not listen to them. What else can they say? Can they say that they entered a deal and hence they resigned?” he asked.

Both Congress and BJP have launched preparations for the forthcoming by-polls. Kamal Nath convened a meeting of party men in which he spelt out party’s strategy for the by-polls. Similarly BJP is also holding local meetings to inspire party workers. The BJP is also reported to have carried out internal survey to assess its own position. According to reports published in local newspapers survey findings are not favourable for the party in some constituencies.

BSP has announced its decision to set up candidates in all the constituencies. As a follow up to this decision the BSP has released the first list of eight candidates. All these seats are from the Gwlior-chambal region, and four are SC reserved constituencies.

Jaswant Patwri has been fielded from the SC reserved Gohad seat, while Kailash Kushwaha from Pohri, Sanosh Gaur from SC reserved Dabra, Rajendra Jatav from SC reserved Karera, Sonaram Kushwaha from Jaura, Bhanupratap Shakwar from SC reerved Ambah, Ram Prakash Rajoria from Morena and Jogesh Singh Narbria from Mehagaon.

BSP announced its list of candidates even before the election commission has announced the by poll schedule in the state.

It is generally believed that BSP will pose threat to the Congress. (IPA Service)