Kunbi votes concern for ruling BJP

Bhopal, Jan 14: Over 13 percent votes of Kunbi community in Betul Lok Sabha constituency are the main concern for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Though notification for the by-election has not been issued, main political parties- BJP and Congress have initiated efforts to know the pulse of voters. Political observers claim that Kunbi votes play an important role in Betul Lok Sabha constituency.

The previous elections also witnessed their importance. The sitting MP Pyarelal Khandelwal has represented the constituency four times, but only once Congress candidate Ashok Sawale was defeated with thin margin, because he belonged to the same community. The main opposition in state assembly Congress has four candidates Ashok Sawale, Hemant Wagdre, and Sukhdev Panes. But the BJP has no leader of this community in Betul. Only once Chandra Shekhar Deshmukh of the same community represented Masaud assembly segment from the BJP.

Party sources claimed that the BJP has almost decided Vijay Khandelwal’s son Hemant as its candidate. In this situation, the BJp would have to make efforts as how to woo the voters from Kunbi community. At present, the Congress is also planning to field Muslim candidate as Gufran-e-Azam and Aslam Sher Khan have already represented this constituency. But in this changed scenario, it is very difficult to field any of them. Political observers believe that in present situation, fielding outsider (any of them) and a minority candidate would go against the Congress. The opposition would have to face religious sentiment of the constituency as well.