Maihar Vidhan Sabha: Congress-BJP candidate announced, but all eyes are on Narayan

In state assembly elections, the Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh draws everyone's attention. This region has been the launchpad for the political careers of esteemed leaders such as Arjun Singh, his son Ajay Singh, Srinivas Tiwari, Rajendra Shukla, and Narayan Tripathi. The region, primarily considered a stronghold of the BJP, comprises a total of 30 seats which include constituencies like Rewa, Satna, Sidhi, and Anuppur districts. The 2018 assembly elections saw Congress managing a win in only 6 out of 30 seats. This was a marginal improvement from their 2013 tally of 12 seats. There have been official announcements that Maihar, previously part of the Satna district, will become a district itself soon.

Currently, BJP has nominated Shrikant Chaturvedi and Congress has chosen Gharmesh Ghai as their respective candidates for the Maihar Vidhan Sabha. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating that the incumbent MLA Narayan Tripathi, known for his rebellion against the BJP, might run as a candidate from his own party in the upcoming elections.

What is the history of this Maihar Vidhan sabha?

Historically, this seat has never been associated with a specific party. In 2003, Narayan Tripathi was elected as the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) under the banner of the Samajwadi Party. Come 2008, Tripathi was defeated by Motilal Tiwari from the BJP. After becoming a member of the Congress Party in 2009, Narayan Tripathi secured a victory by a margin of 7,000 votes over BJP's Ramesh Pandey in the 2013 elections. However, he joined the BJP in 2016 without serving out his full term. Despite winning the 2018 elections, Tripathi's margin of victory was reduced to a mere 2900 votes.

Narayan changing party

The incumbent MLA, Tripathi, is notorious for frequently switching his political alliances. His political journey initiated with the Samajwadi Party. He considers late Mulayam Singh as his political mentor. However, he later shifted to the BJP, navigating via the Congress Party. Even while serving under the BJP flag, he never shied away from expressing his adversarial views about the party. Following the declaration by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to make Maihar a district, Tripathi expressed his gratitude towards both Shivraj and Kamal Nath publicly via his posters.

After failing to secure a ticket from the BJP in the recent elections, he took the decision to resign from the party. Just prior to declaring his resignation, Tripathi had already set the groundwork for establishing his own party, the Vindhya Janata Party. The Election Commission recognized the Vindhya Janata Party last Friday, granting it an official election symbol.

BJP and Congress candidates

Shrikant Chaturvedi is BJP's candidate for the Maihar Vidhan Sabha constituency. He is known as the leader of the Scindia camp, Chaturvedi's influence in this area though is negligible. In 2018, he ran for elections on a Congress ticket. However, this time around, the Congress party puts its faith in Dharmesh Ghai, who will be making his debut in the assembly election. Ghai previously held the position of Chairman for Maihar Municipality.

What are the main issues?

Narayan Tripathi, a prominent Brahmin leader from Vindhya, has proposed the establishment of Vindhya Pradesh through his political party. However, his home constituency, where he has served as an MLA four times, is plagued by critical issues including healthcare and law and order. An NDTV report last year detailed an incident in which a girl was denied a hospital bed in Maihar's Civil Hospital. Then, she had to undergo a blood transfusion on the floor. Other infractions from this hospital continue to surface, even though the MLA had inaugurated an oxygen plant there with public cooperation two years ago. Moreover, the recent rape of a girl from Maihar has also led to statewide discussion. These ongoing issues have raised questions about the integrity of law and order within this newly formed district, despite Tripathi's leadership.

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