New Delhi: Less than a week after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan warned BJP leaders to work in unity to ensure party’s victory in the upcoming bypolls, BJP general secretary B.L. Santhosh has issued a similar warning to assembly prabharis, saying the onus is on them to ensure that all BJP candidates, including loyalists of former Congressman Jyotiraditya Scindia, win from their respective seats.
Santhosh said that if a candidate fails to win, assembly in-charges should be ready to face action, according to BJP leaders.
He issued the warning during a review meeting held Wednesday with assembly in-charges and members of the party’s bypoll management committee.
Bhupendra Singh, the state minister for urban development and the in-charge of the bypoll management committee, told ThePrint said: “The meeting was to review the preparedness of the bypolls and assessment of the campaign. Some ministers have been assigned a particular constituency and every one has an accountability that was reviewed by B.L. Santhosh ji in the meeting.”
The bypolls will be held on 27 seats, but their dates have not been announced yet.
BJP leaders told ThePrint that Santhosh’s outburst came at time when reports emerged from a few poll-bound areas in MP where leaders, specially the party’s old guard, are not actively working for the bypolls as they aren’t happy to cede ground to Scindia loyalists.
After these reports surfaced, the party’s central leadership sent Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to Gwalior to win over BJP leaders of the region.
“This election is an election for survival of the BJP government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Here candidates are inconsequential but every one has to work for the party. This is the primarily responsibility of the ministers (who are assembly in-charges) to ensure victory (of the candidates). Ministers’ performance will be evaluated on the victory and defeat of candidates. If any candidate loses election, their efforts will be marked as negative,” a BJP leader quoted Santhosh as saying in the meeting.
The BJP leader said that Santhosh took exception to those leaders who are not actively campaigning for the bypolls.
Former BJP MP Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya, party leaders Maya Singh and Lal Singh Arya — all of whom are assembly in-charges — were present at the meeting. Sources said these leaders have not been actively involved in poll campaigning.
Pawaiya had even aimed a cryptic tweet at Scindia last month.
“A snake has two tongues and humans have one; fortunately, we are humans. In politics, we can change friends and enemies according to time but for me, the issue of principle is relevant even today,” he had tweeted.
सांप के दो जीभ होती हैंऔर आदमी के एक , सोभाग्य से हम तो मनुष्य हैं न । राजनीति में वक्त के साथ दोस्त और दुश्मन तो बदल सक्ते हैं मगर जो सेद्धान्तिक़ मुद्दे मेरे लिए कल थे वे आज भी हैं । जय श्री राम …..@sharadjmi @BansalNewsMPCG @ZeeMPCG pic.twitter.com/zDLaDLdwk5
— jai bhan singh pawaiya (@PawaiyaJai) August 24, 2020
There was also the mention of Anoopur seat in Dewas district where party leader Ramlal Rautela is not campaigning actively for the candidate, a Scindia loyalist, a second BJP leader said. Rautela had fought the last assembly election from the seat.
During the meeting, Santhosh also told the in-charges to focus on nine Dalit seats where party has got less votes in the last election, sources said.
Also read: Now MP Congress accuses Scindia of land grab, urges CM not to give his camp revenue portfolio
Chouhan’s warning
Last Sunday, while taking stock of the poll preparations, CM Chouhan told party MPs and MLAs that their stature will remain intact until the time the party’s government is in the state.
“Only publishing letterheads and wearing malas (garlands) will not help the party. Work among people, there is still time. We need 100 per cent results, forget resentment and concentrate on the bypoll only. There is no other work until the bypoll. We can’t lose seats. Go to villages, chaupals and address people’s concerns. Remind people about the Congress’ corruption and scandals. This is the time for unity,” the CM had said.
Two days ago, the BJP got a taste of rebellion when party leader Satish Sikarwar, who fought the 2018 election on a BJP ticket from Gwalior East, joined the Congress in the presence of former CM Kamal Nath over resentment with the BJP.
Joint Scindia-Chouhan campaign tour
As many as 16 out of the 27 seats going to the bypoll fall in the Gwalior-Chambal region, and Scindia has been touring the region extensively with Union minister Tomar, who hails from Gwalior, since the last two months.
The party high command had last month asked state BJP president B.D. Sharma to devise a tour plan for Scindia where either CM Chouhan will accompany him or Tomar, BJP sources said.
On Thursday, Chouhan and Scindia started their joint five-day campaign tour in the crucial Gwalior-Chambal region.
In the course of their tour, they will lay foundation stones and launch developmental projects in every assembly constituency, particularly in the Gwalior region.
Also read: BJP didn’t acquire Scindia just for power. It’s also to keep Shivraj Singh Chouhan in check