Parties find difficult to sell dreams

Bhopal, Apr 05: Political parties are finding it very difficult to sell their dreams in Betul Lok Sabha by-election because of short tenure of the winning candidate. Candidates from al three important political parties- ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP), are non-tribal. As per the de-limitation norms, Betul Lok Sabha constituency would be tribal reserved constituency in the next round of general elections.

Since, all the candidates belong to general category, the parties would have to search for new candidates within one year. These three candidates would not be in reckoning in next elections. For such a short tenure, the parties are facing problems in motivating local workers and the masses. The Betul by-election is only a prestige point for the political parties. The BJP is willing to win Betul because it wants to end its tenure in the state on a winning note, while this victory would bring a sign of change for Congress. The Samajwadi Party is contesting election only to safeguard committed vote bank of SP MLA Sunilam.

The SP has already campaigned through film actors and Members of Parliaments Jaya Prada and Jaya Bachchan, and SP national General Secretary Amar Singh. On the other hand Congress has paraded its MPs Sachin Pilot and Priya Dutt besides AICC Secretary Jitin Prasad. National BJP president Rajnath Singh has visited Betul only once. State Congress Spokesman Brijmohan Shrivastava claimed that senior party leader Gufran-e-Azam’s missing from Betul, did not affect electioneering. “People from al castes ad religion including minorities are coming together with the party in the campaigning,” he added.