Avinash Dixit, Jabalpur
The top leadership of BJP has again expressed confidence in the declared candidates for the four Lok Sabha seats of Mahakaushal, Faggan Singh Kulaste from Mandla and Himadi Singh from Shahdol. Ashish Dubey from Jabalpur and Rahul Singh Lodhi from Damoh have been fielded. Faggan Singh Kulaste, who was elected six times to the Lok Sabha and once to the Rajya Sabha, contested the assembly elections held in November from Mandla’s residence constituency. The residence seat is also his residence, but he lost the election. Due to age and other reasons, there were speculations that BJP would hardly give him a Lok Sabha ticket this time, but the party has again expressed confidence in him. Political experts believe that keeping in mind his deep roots in the tribal community, long political experience and the absence of any other leader of his stature in the district, besides the political equation of harnessing the tribal vote bank, the BJP election committee members have nominated Faggan Singh. Then the decision has been taken to field it.
Educated tribal leader – Himadri Singh, sitting MP from Shahdol parliamentary constituency for the second time on BJP ticket. Her good image in the central leadership and his previous tenure were also undisputed. Recently, on public demand, Shahdol Nagpur train was started and a passport office was opened. She has the advantage of having no other contender of her stature in Shahdol. Himadri Singh comes from a political background, her father Dalveer Singh was a three-time MP from Shahdol and had also been a Union Minister. Her mother Rajesh Nandini has also once been an MP from Shahdol parliamentary constituency. Her mother and father were MPs from Congress. Himadri Singh also left Congress and joined BJP and was elected MP on BJP ticket.
Rahul will contest Los elections for the first time – There is talk about Rahul Lodhi, cousin of BJP MLA Â Pradyuman Singh from Bada Malhara, that during the assembly elections held in November, there was an undisclosed agreement between the former Finance Minister of the state Jayant Malaiya to cooperate with each other, under which Malaiya lobbied for Rahul Lodhi on various forums of the party. Rahul Lodhi is considered close to Damoh MP and former Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel. Since the Damoh Lok Sabha seat is considered to be Lodhi dominated and Rahul also belongs to the same class, the social engineering of the vote bank and the positive initiative of Prahlad Singh Patel is beneficial. Rahul Lodhi got it. Rahul will contest Lok Sabha elections for the first time.
Benefit of clean image
If we talk about Jabalpur Lok Sabha seat, then by winning 7 seats in the last assembly elections, BJP had indicated that if an ordinary BJP worker is also fielded from here, then it is not possible for any party to defeat it. Under safe circumstances, BJP has made Ashish Dubey, who has been serving as the state minister since 2021, as its candidate. Ashish has been serving in various posts in BJP since 1990. In the assembly elections held a few months ago, he wanted to contest from Jabalpur Rural Patan assembly seat but Ajay Vishnoi brought the ticket. Late Ambikeshwar Dubey, father of Ashish Dubey, a farmer leader and farmer leader with a clean image and who worked for a long time in rural areas, was also associated with the BJP in its initial phase along with being the BJP District President. Ashish Dubey has good relations with other leaders of the state including Jabalpur, perhaps he has benefited from this.
