In recent developments in Madhya Pradesh, the BSP candidate from Guna, Lokendra Singh Rajput, quit the party on Monday and declared his support for Congress’ Jyotiraditya Scindia. Jyotiraditya Scindia tweeted a picture of him garlanding the ex-BSP leader marking his formal induction into Congress, “Young candidate Lokendra Singh, by joining the Congress, has given us his support. We welcome him to the Congress family,” Mr Scindia tweeted.
https://twitter.com/JM_Scindia/status/1122899669523107840
However, this sequence of events didn’t go down well with Mayawati, who is furious over Congress’ poaching of its leaders in MP. With Mayawati’s comments in the background, problems for Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath are spiraling and seem to be poised to trouble him in the times to come. Displaying her reservations she tweeted:
सरकारी मशीनरी के दुरुपयोग के मामले में कांग्रेस भी बीजेपी से कम नहीं। एमपी के गुना लोकसभा सीट पर बीएसपी उम्मीदवार को कांग्रेस ने डरा-धमकाकर जबर्दस्ती बैठा दिया है किन्तु बीएसपी अपने सिम्बल पर ही लड़कर इसका जवाब देगी व अब कांग्रेस सरकार को समर्थन जारी रखने पर भी पुनर्विचार करेगी।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) April 30, 2019
“In MP’s Guna parliamentary constituency , BSP’s candidate was strong armed and pushed out however BSP will not sit silent and answer the congress by fighting the election on its symbol”. She also added that the party will “rethink on the current support to the Kamal Nath government”.
In the following tweet she also criticized Congress’ tactics in UP.
साथ ही, यूपी में कांग्रेसी नेताओं का यह प्रचार कि बीजेपी भले ही जीत जाए किन्तु बसपा-सपा गठबंधन को नहीं जीतना चाहिए, यह कांग्रेस पार्टी के जातिवादी, संकीर्ण व दोगले चरित्र को दर्शाता है। अतः लोगों का यह मानना सही है कि बीजेपी को केवल हमारा गठबंधन ही हरा सकता है। लोग सावधान रहें।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) April 30, 2019
The Congress after failing to get a complete majority in the 2018 assembly elections got support of 2 BSP, 1 SP and 4 Independent MLA’s and formed the government. However after Mayawati’s remarks the clouds of doubt have further darkened over the longevity of the Kamal Nath government which is already running on a marginal majority. The Congress has 113 members of its own and has 120 along with the BSP, Samajwadi Party and four independents. If Mayawati takes the leap, the Congress will be down to 118 and if BSP’s alliance partner in UP, SP follows suit the Congress tally will roll down to just 117.
With just 117 MLA’s in the MP legislative assembly where the majority mark is 116, the situation for the Kamal Nath government won’t be impossible but definitely hard.
The newly elected government from its first day has been on the back foot over UREA shortage in 18 Districts. Experts relate Kamal Nath’s government’s diminishing popularity to the non fulfillment of polling promises like unemployment allowance, the deteriorating law and order situation in Madhya Pradesh and the rampant minority appeasement. The rising unpopularity of the party in the state has consequently further dampened the electoral ambitions of the Congress for the 2019 general elections.
Loss of public sentiment can also be a catalyst in swaying the independents away from the Congress government, leaving open ground for the BJP with 109 members, to garner support for the formation of the government.
With the party facing difficulty in finding strong and credible candidates for the polls in it’s honeymoon period, Congress in the state has been on a decline in terms of support from the voters. With greater issues regarding efficient electoral management and after the analysis of the current political scenario, many experts believe it to be devastating election ahead for the Congress in Madhya Pradesh. Furthermore, these new developments after Mayawati’s remarks are sure to keep Kamal Nath awake a little longer. Kamal Nath is also contesting assembly by-polls from Chindwara to keep his post as Chief Minister.
