Madhya Pradesh: Congress breaks BJP’s winning streak in panchayat polls

BHOPAL: After 11 years of unbroken electoral success in Madhya Pradesh, the ruling BJP suddenly faces heat: the prospect of losing ground in rural areas. Such has been the saffron party's dominance that the Congress has all but ceased to matter electorally in MP. However, after the second phase of panchayat elections, the results of which were declared last week, the Congress appears to have regained lost ground, with the BJP-backed candidates slipping to less than 50% of the total seats.

Of the 223 janpad and district panchayat seats, BJP-backed candidates won only 109. In a major boost for the Congress, 83 candidates supported by it emerged victorious. The remaining 31 seats were bagged by BSP and independents.

An exuberant MP Congress chief Arun Yadav said the results are a "big slap on the face of the BJP". He said, "Congress-supported candidates won 65% to 80% of the seats. This signifies the beginning of the Congress's return in the state."

The BJP, however, was unfazed. A party spokesman Hitesh Vajpayee told TOI, "Two more phases of polling are scheduled next month. We're confident BJP-backed candidates will win two-thirds of the total seats. Let the entire poll process be over." There are two more phases of polling in February.

BJP sources said their poor performance in the panchayat elections so far may have been a result of the government's decision to withdraw bonus in addition to MSP for procurement of wheat and rice starting this fiscal. The Chouhan government has spent Rs 35,000 crore as bonus on wheat procured at Rs 150 per quintal in addition to the support price of Rs 1,350 per quintal.

But, while the Centre decided to increase the MSP of wheat to Rs 1,450, the state government announced withdrawal of additional bonus. This might have hit the BJP in rural areas, said a political observer. In a predominantly agriculture dependent economy, Chouhan government must find a meaningful solution to address the scarcity of seeds and fertilizers, the observer added.