Take the BJP. Dissenting voices have been raised by the disgruntled elements in the party. The most powerful protest has come from Phoolchand Verma. He won Lok Sabha elections from Dewas constituency five times. However, he lost the 2009 elections by a margin of 91 votes. He was defeated by Congress candidate Sajjan Singh Verma. He holds the view that looking at the small margin of his defeat, he should have been the natural choice for party ticket from Dewas. But the party thought otherwise.

The BJP workers are also in a foul mood in the two constituencies from where defectors, who joined the BJP only a couple of months back, have been fielded. They are Bhind and Hoshangabad from where Bhagirath Prasad and Udai Pratap Singh respectively have been nominated by the BJP as its candidates.

Dr. Bhagirath Prasad is a retired IAS officer, who unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha Polls in 2009 as a Congress candidate. He was again chosen by the Congress as its candidate from Bhind, which is a reserved constituency. The fact that he has been allotted Congress ticket was formally announced. But the day on which his nomination was announced, he joined the BJP. His decision to join the BJP was termed as betrayal by the Congress. The BJP has chosen Dr. Prasad as its candidate from Bhind. The decision has evoked loud protests from the local partymen. They point out that instead of choosing someone who had served the party for years, a rank outsider, who has been with the BJP for only a week, has been foisted upon them. Many have vowed to ensure the defeat of Dr. Prasad. Dr. Prasad, while announcing his defection, stated that he was leaving the Congress because the party did not recognise his talent and did not suitably reward him. The Congress' explanation is that Dr. Prasad was made Vice Chancellor of Indore University after his retirement from the Indian Administrative Service. Then he was selected as party candidate. It is further pointed out that his second wife. Mehrunnisa Parvez was awarded Padmashri and was also made member of the State Women's Commission. All these gifts were given by the Congress. What else he expected, asked a Congress spokesman.

Udai Pratap Singh is another defector who has been rewarded by the BJP which has fielded him from Hoshangabad. Udai Pratap Singh won Hoshangabad seat as Congress candidate in 2009. He, however, left the Congress in the middle of November last year during the Vidhan Sabha elections in the State. The BJP workers in Hoshangabad constituency are also angry over Singh's choice.

In some other constituencies also BJP workers are unhappy as outsiders have been thrust upon them. For example, Anup Mishra, who is Atal Bihari Vajpayee's nephew, has been asked to contest from Morena. Mishra, a former Minister, hails from Gwalior and has been representing Gwalior in the Vidhan Sabha. Dissenting voices are also being heard from three more constituencies. A section of BJP workers are also unhappy with the neglect of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan by the all-India leadership, particularly in the propaganda material coming from Delhi. For example, hoardings displayed in the state carry the picture of Narendra Modi alone. Chouhan loyalists point out that in terms of popularity ratings, Chouhan is on a higher pedestal than Modi, as far as Madhya Pradesh is concerned. Chouhan loyalists assert that Modi can't win support by ignoring the CM.

Dissenting voices are also being heard in the Congress. The most powerful protest has been lodged by Arif Aqueel, the lone Muslim MLA in Madhya Pradesh. Aqueel feels that the Congress should have sponsored him from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency. Bhopal has a substantial presence of Muslim voters. Therefore, if there is any chance of a Muslim candidate getting elected to the Lok Sabha from the State, it is from Bhopal alone. Aqueel has been representing Congress in the MP assembly for more than four terms.

Bhopal is represented in the Lok Sabha by Kailash Joshi, who has voluntarily opted out of the contest. Lal Krishna Advani is likely to be the BJP candidate from Bhopal.

The Congress has not been able to find a suitable candidate to contest against the BJP heavyweights like Sushma Swaraj. A section of partymen is also unhappy over Digvijay Singh's decision to enter the Rajya Sabha. In a dramatic decision, the Congress has chosen Vivek Tankha to contest from Jabalpur.

Tankha is an eminent legal personality, who was Additional Solicitor General with government of India. His candidature has also not been liked by the Congress old guard. Tankha has never been active in Congress politics. Thus, both the parties are facing opposition from their rank and file and that is bound to impact their poll effort. (IPA Service)