Bypoll battle over: BJP emerges big winner in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: A week before the October 30 bypoll, Congress received a massive shock when its first-time MLA from Barwaha assembly seat Sachin Birla quit to join ruling BJP. Barwaha is one of the eight assembly segments of Khandwa Lok Sabha seat with a predominant Gujjar population.
After Sachin Birla -- who hails from the Gujjar community -- left Congress, former CM and LOP Kamal Nath invited Sachin Pilot to woo Gujjar voters in Khandwa on the last day of campaigning.
But, Sachin Birla was not the only setback. Former Union minister of state Arun Yadav who was Congress candidate from the Parliamentary seat for three times since 2009 withdrew from the candidature race just before tickets distribution.
Yadav was campaigning in the seat for six months prior to bypolls expecting the party’s ticket but in October he withdrew citing family reasons. Party sources claimed, he does not see eye-to-eye with Kamal Nath.
Congress lost the battle of Khandwa the day Yadav retracted from the candidature race. Former state Congress president Arun Yadav had won the seat in 2009 against BJP’s six-time MP Nandkumar Singh Chauhan though he lost the 2014 and 2019 Parliamentary elections.
Chauhan aka Nandu Bhaiyya died of Covid infection in March this year necessitating the bypoll. His son was a ticket aspirant though BJP chose to field a party worker Gyaneshwar Patil who was a close associate of Chauhan.
Patil had never contested an election before and was fielded against Congress’ former MLA Rajnarayan Singh Purni. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressed 16 public meetings in the Lok Sabha seat and halted two nights in rural areas.
In 2014, Nandu Bhaiyya had won Khandwa by a margin of 2,59,714 votes against Congress’ Arun Yadav. In 2019, his margin increased to 2,73,343 votes. On Tuesday, BJP retained the seat but the margin was not even half as impressive. Gyaneshwar Patil won by a margin of 82,140 votes against Rajnarayan Singh Purni.
BJP’s organisational strength also overcame challenges like inflation, fuel price hike and farmer issues.