Madhya Pradesh assembly results 2018: Another ‘Arif’ takes centre stage in Bhopal politics

BHOPAL: Tuesday’s election formalised the advent of another Arif in Bhopal’s political space. Arif Masood was elected on a Congress ticket as MLA from Bhopal Madhya seat. Masood won by 14,944 votes defeating incumbent BJP’s Surendranath Singh.
Deep dive into poll data to understand how Madhya Pradesh voted
The two main Congress candidates from Bhopal North and Madhya assembly constituencies shared the same forename – Arif. Both now have won. North constituency has been held by Arif Aqueel for five terms straight.The comparisons, however, between the namesakes begin and end at just that – their names!
“It is a win for Bhopal’s Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb. The win is now an added responsibility on me to maintain the syncretic culture,” said Arif Masood.
The makeover of Masood came after a polarised fight in 2013 election, against incumbent Singh. This election, Masood shunned away his white skullcap. During his visit to Arera Colony and surround areas, Masood did not hesitate to wear ‘tilak’. His press releases were full of images of his acceptance amongst the poor of both communities.
After this win, Masood becomes a force in Bhopal’s minority politics too. He is also a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).
Masood polled 57.1% votes against BJP’s candidates 39.6% vote share. The constituency also witnessed a change. Around 60-additional polling booths were added in new Bhopal area of the constituency.
There is 25 round of counting for the seat. First votes from Old Bhopal are counted. Observers assume that any candidate with a lead of 20,000 votes wins before ballots in new Bhopal are open. By 3 pm after 13 rounds of counting, Masood lead by 28,000 votes. The slide down from Arera Hills into new Bhopal was comfortable for the Congress candidate.