Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Khajuraho may go the Surat way for BJP as contest turns dull

As six of the 29 Lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh gear up for the second phase of elections, scheduled for Friday, the contest in one of the seats, Khajuraho, has become blunt before the judgement day.

Khajuraho may well go the Surat way, where BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed on Monday.

This is because Khajuraho’s BJP candidate, VD Sharma, is set to play in an almost-empty field, as the nomination papers of the I.N.D.I.A alliance partner, Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Meera Yadav has been rejected.

Sharma’s opponent now is the All-India Forward Block (AIFB) candidate, RB Prajapati. If one hears the voices from the ground, it might be a cakewalk for Sharma as Prajapat is not much of a goalkeeper.

Even otherwise, the BJP may have an edge as it had won all the eight Assembly seats last year that fall into this Lok Sabha segment. In 2019, the BJP had won 28 of the 29 seats, with the exception of Chhindwara, which was bagged by Congress heavyweight, Kamal Nath’s son, Nakul Nath. This time, the BJP is eying for a clean sweep, contrary to the Congress' claim that it would fracture the BJP’s dream run.

The five other constituencies heading for elections are Tikamgarh (SC), Damoh, Satna, Rewa and Hoshangabad regions.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had secured 3.18 lakh votes. The seat comprises approximately 19.9 lakh voters and VD Sharma had won the last Lok Sabha elections by a margin of 4.92 lakh votes. But the Congress’ hopes to revive its fortunes have been nipped now.

‘Clumsy grounds’

I.N.D.I.A. bloc partners have been crying foul over the “clumsy grounds” on which Samajwadi Party (SP)’s candidate, Meera Yadav’s nomination papers have been rejected. SP president Akhilesh Yadav termed it murder of democracy, while PCC president Jitu Patwari said the BJP was “hand-in-glove” in this, and termed it mockery of democracy.

Defending the decision, District Magistrate Suresh Kumar cited “irregularity” and submission of Form-B with signature as the reasons for rejection.

The Congress may be lamenting now because it had proposed the name of Meera Yadav. Its alliance partner, SP, who had demanded the Khajuraho seat out of 29 in the state, first proposed the name of the party’s state president, Manoj Yadav. But the Congress reportedly suggested Meera Yadav. But now, it seems to have played spoilsport.

Not to be seen as throwing in the towel, the I.N.D.I.A alliance suddenly decided last week to extend its support to R.B. Prajapati, the AIFB candidate, in Khajuraho. Though, this may just be a token show of defence.

Shift in schedule

In another development, the Betul seat, scheduled to go to polls in the second phase, has now been shifted to the third Phase, on May 7, due to the death of the BSP candidate, Ashok Bhalawi, following a heart attack.
Betul will now join nine other seats in the Gwalior-Chambal zone, besides other regions, in the third phase.

Pollsters are also keenly watching how the contest will be played out in the five other constituencies. In Tikamgarh, Union minister of state and seven-time BJP MP, Virendra Khatik, is contesting against Congress’ Pankaj Ahirwar. In Satna, four-time BJP MP, Ganesh Singh, is contesting against Siddharth Kushwaha, of the Congress.

Though Ganesh Singh lost the Assembly election last year from Satna, the party has shown confidence in him for the Lok Sabha battle. In Damoh, it will be a clash of the two Lodhis, with the BJP fielding Rahul Lodhi against the Congress’ Tarwar Lodhi. In Rewa, the BJP’s Janardan Mishra is fighting against the Congress’ Neelam Mishra, while Hoshangabad arena has Darshan Singh Chaudhary of the BJP being pitted against Sanjay Sharma of the Congress.

Low turnout worrying

Contrary to expectations, the average voting in the first phase on April 19 which was 67.75%, was 8% less than the previous election. The lowest turnout was recorded in Sidhi, with 55.19 %, which was 14% less than 2019. Shahdol also recorded 11% less voting than the previous election.

Turnout in Chhindwara was 79.25%, but that was also 2.8% less than previous election. Observers claimed the increase in voting percentage is advantageous to the BJP, but this logic does hold good every time.
MP chief electoral officer Anupam Rajan attributed the reasonably lower turnout to the excessive heat. With no respite from the heat, it remains to be seen how many will turn up at polling stations on Friday.