Lok Sabha elections 2019: It’s Modi vs Maharani in Khajuraho

BHOPAL: The Khajuraho

Lok Sabha

constituency in

Bundelkhand

is witnessing an interesting battle of ballots between Modi and ‘Maharani’. Though the area is plagued by problems like hunger and poverty, most people on the polling day will have to choose between “Muh tod jawab” of Modi and the prestige of ‘ humari Maharani’.

As people yearn for solution to problems like paani (water), palayan (migration), jobs and neglect of tourism industry, the poll narrative is largely based on ‘rashtrawad’ and ‘

chowkidar

chor hai’. Besides, both the parties are trying hard to woo Brahmin voters who are about 4 lakh in number.

Spread over 8 assembly segments in three districts of Chattarpur, Panna and Katni, the Khajuraho constituency is backward and is crying for the issues like employment and water. Migration for greener pastures is one of the major issues in Chattarpur and Panna- the districts where illegal sand mining is posing a serious threat to Ken river, the lifeline of Bundelkhand.

Neglect of tourism industry in Khajuraho and Panna tiger reserve is also a major issue. All the roads connecting the international tourist destination of Khajuraho with the rest of the country have been in a bad shape for the past more than 15 years. And with poor air and rail connectivity, there has been a continuous decline in footfall of foreign tourists.

Tagged as an outsider, a large number of people in Khajuraho have still not been able to identify with the BJP candidate VD Sharma, but VD is banking heavily on Modi's " Muh tod jawab to Pakistan" and "Rashtravad ". On the other side, the ex-royal of Chattarpur Kavita Singh is being received well in the villages of Bundelkhand.

With her sari-pallu covering her head, Kavita Singh can be seen touching the feet of the elderly Brahmins in a bid to corner their votes. “We can never let down humari (our) Maharani. Even her husband is a tikadhari Thakur (a Thakur with a vermillion tika on his forehead)”, said 70-year-old Brijbihari Shukla of Ganj village.

Kavita lives next to Khajuraho temples and her husband Vikram Singh, alias Natiraja, is the the grandson of the ex-raja of Chattarpur. Vikram is an MLA from Rajnagar assembly segment of Khajuraho Lok Sabha seat. “Being a native of Bundelkhand, I understand the problems of the region”, Kavita Singh told TOI even as she continued talking with a group of villagers in Gunnor.

VD bhai saa’ab, as the BJP leader is fondly called by party workers, entered late on the stage of Khajuraho’s political scene after the party delayed his candidature. To begin with he got a hostile reception with slogans like “VD Sharma vapis jao” within the party.

Initially, he spent his energy in silencing the whispering campaign of being a ‘bhahari’. This issue cropped up after the sitting BJP MP Nagendra Singh from Satna was denied ticket. But VD is not perturbed by the ground situation. He said, “There is no groupism and the whole party is giving me unstinted support.” The BJP candidate also refused to be called “bahari” (outsider) and said as an ABVP worker he had worked intensively in Bundelkhand. “Not only Brahmins, all sections of the society are with me. Development of the region is the only mission of my life”, said VD Sharma as he proceeded for another nukkad sabha in Panna.