Lok Sabha elections: A battle of 'outsiders' on the cards in Tikamgarh

BHOPAL: The

Tikamgarh

parliamentary constituency is witnessing an interesting battle between 'outsiders'. Candidates of both the BJP and the Congress have been tagged as 'bahari' or outsiders by their rival party supporters.

After BJP candidate Virendra Khatik faced 'vapis jao' slogans, those opposing the Congress candidate have painted the walls with slogans like 'Kiran Ahirwar vapis jao'.

Virendra Khatik is a two-time MP from Tikamgarh and a minister in Narendra Modi cabinet but his own party workers are opposing his candidature and call him an 'outsider'. Alleging that

Khatik has been 'inert and inactive' for five years, BJP workers raised slogans like "Go back Virendra Khatik" in the presence of the state party president Rakesh Singh and former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently. The present and former MLAs of the region have also launched campaign against him. However, Khatik said that he belongs to the region and the dissent against him is unfounded.

The Congress candidate Kiran Ahirwar is also facing opposition after being labelled as 'bahari ummidwar', which she denies vehemently. Her supporters in the constituency swung into action as soon as the slogan "Kiran Ahirwar wapis jao" were painted on the walls in Jatara and Tikamgarh assembly segments of the

Lok Sabha

constituency. In her door-to-door campaign in Tikamgarh city, she is trying hard to convince people that she belongs to Madhiya village of

Prithvipur

tehsil which is not in Niwadi district, carved out from Tikamgarh before assembly elections. District Congress president Mahesh Yadav said, "It is true that people wanted a local candidate and Kiran Ahirwar belongs to Tikamgarh constituency. The wall writing was a mischief played by the rival parties."

A reserved seat, Tikamgarh has maximum number of Ahirwar voters which is why she has been made the party candidate, said party sources. After 3.5 lakh Ahirwars, there are about 3 lakh Yadav votes in the constituency making it a favourable caste combination for the Congress.