LS poll results to trigger scrutiny of BJP, Congress' new leadership in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, June 3 (IANS) The Lok Sabha election results in the 29 seats of Madhya Pradesh, where both the national parties - the BJP and the Congress - replaced the old war horses with new leadership six months ago, will trigger analysis on the change of guards in the state. 

While the BJP replaced its veteran leader and four-time Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with Mohan Yadav as his successor after the Assembly elections held in November last year, the Congress made young leader Jitu Patwari its state unit chief replacing old guard Kamal Nath following the debacle in the Vidhan Sabha polls.

Given the responsibility to lead their respective parties' state units, both CM Mohan Yadav and Jitu Patwari campaigned extensively for the Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh held between April 19 and May 13.

Even after the elections were over in Madhya Pradesh, both leaders campaigned for their parties in several other states until the last phase of polling on June 1.

Going by most of the Exit Poll findings, the BJP is projected to repeat its performance in Madhya Pradesh where it won 27 and 28 out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 and 2019, respectively.

If the BJP retains its tally of the previous two terms, it will strengthen CM Mohan Yadav's position further in the state, but if the numbers go down, his political opponents within the BJP will have enough ammo to raise their fingers on his leadership.

However, CM Yadav has been claiming that the BJP will win all 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh. 

"Six months ago, the people of Madhya Pradesh showed that PM Narendra Modi is their leader and they will give all the 29 seats to the BJP to make him the PM for a third term," Mohan Yadav said at a press conference recently.

On the other hand, following the party's poor showing in the previous polls -- just 2 seats in 2014 and 1 seat in 2019, besides losing the Assembly elections by a big margin six months ago -- Jitu Patwari will feel a sense of relief if the grand old party manages to increase its tally when the results are announced on Tuesday.

Patwari has said that the Congress cadres fought the Lok Sabha elections on public issues, claiming that the party's performance will improve in Madhya Pradesh.

"After the stunning defeat in the Assembly elections, it wasn't easy to take on the well-organised BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. However, we fought hard and expect a better response from the state's people this time," Patwari said.