Madhya Pradesh: Intense lobbying between BJP, Congress for civic elections

BHOPAL: With reservation for the post of mayor and head of the civic bodies, including 16 municipal corporations, announced on Wednesday, hectic lobbying in both Congress and the ruling BJP has begun to get a ticket.
Madhya Pradesh cabinet led by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has recently declared direct elections to the post of mayor to avoid manipulations, the direct fight in almost all the civic bodies will be between BJP and the main opposition Congress.Speculations are rife whether Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia will again get a quota in the ticket distribution to promote his loyalists in the civic elections in Gwalior-Chambal region?
In Bhopal and Indore, there are many aspirants for the post of mayor in both the parties and an intense lobbying has begun among the MLAs and the senior leaders, who had been dropped from the paty's list during recent bypolls and the state cabinet. In Congress, those who have been removed from the state working committee recently, are emerging as strong claimants for the ticket though, the old party has no established leadership among the women OBCs.
"The reservation process has been completed successfully and the chief minister has also opted for a direct election to the post of mayor and civic heads to avoid manipulations in the polls. BJP is prepared for the civic elections and will win maximum seats by majority votes," said state urban administration minister Bhupendra Singh.
In Bhopal, the mayor seat has been reserved for other backward class (OBC) woman candidate, where several aspirants have emerged to stake their claim for the ticket. Former mayor Krishna Gaur, who is an MLA from Govindpura seat and BJP panelists Rajo Malviya and Saroj Rajput are eyeing for a ticket from the state capital. Names of Vandana Jachak, state member of BJP Mahila Morcha and Chandramukhi Yadav are also doing rounds in the political circles.
Sources said that if Krishna Gaur is nominated for the post of mayor, the BJP may consider another candidate from Govindpura assembly seat in 2023 assembly polls. In 85 wards of Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), the BJP has grabbed the mayor seats since the last ten years. Both BJP and the Congress sans a new face or a big name for the post of mayor.
"In BJP, the names are decided on the basis of work and performance by the party leadership. There is no claimant. I am happy that the Bhopal mayor seat has been reserved for a woman candidate," said Krishna Gaur on her claim for the ticket.
In Congress, former mayor Vibha Patel is the only name active among OBCs. Patel had also contested from the Govindpura assembly seat in 2008 which she lost to former CM Babulal Gaur. Another aspirant is Santosh Kansana, a three-term Congress corporator from Bhopal, who is also a strong claimant for the ticket.
"The process of selection of candidates will be done by the screening committee after we receive bio datas from the aspirants. Congress has its own strategy of a pro-development and corruption-less administration for the civic body polls and we will win maximum seats in the coming elections," Congress state general secretary (administration) Rajiv Singh told TOI.
In Indore, the mayor seat has been declared unreserved and MLAs from both the parties are eyeing for a ticket. Since 2000, BJP has been ruling the corporation. Senior leaders like MLA Ramesh Mendola, former MLAs Sudershan Gupta and Jitu Jirati, Umesh Sharma, Gopikrishna Nema and Harinarayan Yadav are some of the aspirants, however, party national general secretary Kailash Vijayavargiya will have the final say in the selection of the candidate. In Congress, MLAs like Jitu Patwari, Sanjay Shukla and district head Vinay Bakliwal are among the claimants for the ticket.
In Jabalpur, the mayor seat has been declared unreserved and the BJP has emerged victorious in the last three elections. In Congress, former minister Tarun Bhanot will support his brother Gaurav while names of former corporators Sanjay Rathore, Rajesh Sonkar, Dinesh Yadav are also doing rounds. In BJP, Jitendra Jamdar, who was in-charge of chief minister's Narmada Sankalp Yatra, is a strong contender. Former MIC member Kamlesh Agrawal and senior leader Shriram Shukla are also among the aspirants.
In Gwalior, the mayor seat has been declared unreserved for a woman candidate. BJP leadership can propose names of former minister Maya Singh and Samiksha Gupta. Speculations are rife that supporters of Jyotiraditya Scindia are seeking quota in the ticket distribution for the civic polls. Sources said that Scindia is likely to promote some names for municipal corporations and municipalities in the Gwalior-Chambal region. In Congress, Rashmi Paur and Ruchirai Thakur are strong claimants for the ticket.