Even a common BJP worker can defeat Digvijaya Singh: Uma Bharti

BHOPAL: Even as the BJP is searching for the `most suitable' candidate against Congress stalwart Digvijaya Singh in

Bhopal

, Union minister Uma Bharti, who had played a major role in the Congress rout in 2003 assembly polls, said on Tuesday that the BJP need not field a heavyweight to defeat Digvijaya Singh as the public is ready to ensure his defeat at the hands of a common party worker.

Bharti said, “I saw Digvijaya Singh challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi on television to fight against him from Bhopal. This is ridiculous. When Digvijaya Singh was chief minister, he failed to ensure the victory of his mentor Arjun Singh against BSP candidate Sukhlal Kushwaha in Satna

Lok Sabha

constituency. Later in Hoshangabad, Arjun Singh was trounced by Sartaj Singh. When Digvijaya and Arjun Singh could not face Kushwaha and Sartaj, how can Digvijaya face Alok Sanjar in Bhopal".

Bharti was joined by BJP's national general secretary Kailash Vijayavargiya in mocking Digvijaya for challenging Modi to contest from Bhopal. "Mr Bantadhar has challenged Modiji to contest from Bhopal. Mr Diggy, the fight always takes place among equals. You do not have the stature to fight Modiji. BJP workers of MP are enough to trounce you", tweeted Vijayavargiya.

Sources said that battle of Bhopal has turned a prestige issue for the two rivals parties in Madhya Pradesh. Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who returned after attending the central election committee meeting on Tuesday, said he is ready to face any challenge but his candidature for Bhopal will be decided by the party leadership. Sources said that if the saffron party decides to field Chouhan, then he will face Digvijaya after 16 years, as earlier the two stalwarts had crossed swords in the 2003 assembly elections from the Raghogarh seat.

Sources revealed that BJP supporters love to overlook the minority factor, saying the BJP won five of the eight assembly seats in Bhopal parliamentary constituency during previous assembly elections, while the Congress won the other three.

A senior Congress office-bearer said, "Congress has assigned responsibility to three cabinet ministers — Arif Aqeel, P C Sharma and Jaivardhan Singh — to manage poll meetings and campaign in Bhopal parliamentary constituency against the BJP's saffron agenda. The party has also asked all factions to unite and cooperate in the prestigious battle" .

Congress MLA from Bhopal (North) Arif Aqeel said, "The BJP has no good candidate against Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal. Even if PM Modi contests this election, he would not win."

In the stiff battle among stalwarts, the Congress and BJP leaders foresee an intense verbal spat over party's ideology. Sources disclosed that Digvijaya's disdain for the RSS is well known. Moreover, it is the RSS which has chalked BJP’s strategy for a massive door-to-door campaign against the Congress. RSS deputy chief Bhaiyya ji Joshi on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with BJP state leadership at the RSS office Samidha to chalk out a strategy against Diggy and pin him down for his terror barb and attack on ideological issues. "Let the poll campaign pick up and then we will see what to do. It was a normal meeting with BJP leaders. We discussed our strategy", Joshi said on queries related to Digvijaya's candidature from Bhopal.

Sources disclosed that saffron party is also finding it tough to find strong candidates in its other strongholds like Indore, Sagar, Khajuraho, Ratlam and

Dewas

. The party is waiting for Congress to announce the names seats like Indore and Gwalior to take a final call on the remaining 14 Lok Sabha seats out of total 29 in MP.