MP bypolls: CM Mohan Yadav highlights focus on poor, women on last day of campaign

Bhopal : On the last day of campaigning for bypolls in Madhya Pradesh's Budhni and Vijaypur Assembly seats, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Monday that the state government is committed to the welfare of the poor, women, youth, and farmers.

Addressing mediapersons in Gwalior, CM Yadav said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has outlined four pillars for the government — poor, women, youth, and farmers. These four groups' interests are our top priority.”

“Following this spirit, our government aims to provide employment to the youth through industry conclaves, and create new industries to provide jobs for the poor, women, and all. This is our government's priority,” he said, highlighting that revival of industries that were shut down for various reasons during previous governments would also get attention.

The CM said the government also planned to resolve workers' cases pending in court.

Polling for bypolls in the state is scheduled for November 13 and the ruling BJP and the rival INDIA bloc are lining up their star campaigners for victory.

Seniors leaders from both sides are scheduled to address multiple rallies and meetings with party workers. However, CM Yadav will be in Jharkhand to campaign for the first phase Assembly elections slated on November 13. He will addressing two public rallies for BJP's candidates in Gadhwa and Simariya Assembly seats.

More than 2.76 lakh voters in Budhni and 2.54 lakh voters in Vijayapur will vote to elect new members for the state Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

Bypolls in Budhni, the bastion of BJP stalwart Shivraj Singh Chouhan, was necessitated by his resignation from the state Assembly after being elected to the Lok Sabha. The four-time former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Chouhan is now the Union Agriculture Minister.

In Chouhan's absence, the BJP has fielded Ramakant Bhargava against Congress' two-time former MLA Rajkumar Patel.

The Vijayapur by-poll was necessitated by Congress MLA Ramniwas Rawat’s resignation from the party and also the Assembly. The six-time former MLA joined the ruling BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

Located in the Sheopur district of the Gwalior-Chambal region, the Vijaypur constituency has been one of the safest seats for the Congress for three decades.

In the past eight Assembly elections held between 1990 and 2023, the Congress won the Vijaypur seat six times and the BJP twice (1998 and 2018). However, in the last election held in November 2023, a close contest was witnessed between Congress' Ramniwas Rawat and BJP candidate Babulal Mevra.

Rawat won the election with a margin of little over 17, 000 votes. It was Rawat's sixth victory from the Vijaypur Assembly.

Rawat, who is the state forest minister, will be contesting Wednesday’s bye-election on BJP's symbol. The Congress has fielded Mukesh Malhotra, relatively a less popular leader, against Rawat.

After the voting on November 13, results for both the seats will be declared on November 23.