Mystery of Madhya Pradesh: Mandsaur stays with BJP despite death of 6 farmers in police firing
Farmers had clashed with police at Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh in June 2017. Six farmers died and the Congress launched a massive campaign against the BJP government.
In Short
- Mandsaur Lok Sabha constituency has eight assembly seats
- In 2013 polls, the Congress won 1 and the BJP got 7 seats in Mandsaur
- It is status quo in 2018 MP election at the epicentre of farmers' protests
The BJP has suffered a major blow in the Hindi heartland losing power in all three states that went to polls -- Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. To the BJP's credit, the party gave the strongest fight in Madhya Pradesh, a state where farm distress and anger of farmers were the talking points during the election campaign.
It began with clashes between farmers and police last year. Mandsaur was suddenly hitting the national headlines in June 2017. Six farmers died in police firing.
The Congress threw its weight behind the farmers declaring the BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh and at the Centre as anti-farmer. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were blamed for the worrying lot of farmers.
When election came, the Congress ran an impressive campaign in Madhya Pradesh on the plank of farm distress and promised loan waiver within 10 days of forming government if voted to power in the state election. It ended up within striking distance in Madhya Pradesh election.
But Mandsaur remains a mystery in Madhya Pradesh election if it was fought on the farmers' issue.
Mandsaur was the flashpoint that brought farmers at the centre of political discourse in Madhya Pradesh ahead of assembly election. But at the epicentre of the farmers' anger, the BJP seems to have gained.
How Mandsaur Voted
Mandsaur Lok Sabha seat comprises eight Madhya Pradesh assembly seats spread over three districts. The assembly constituencies are Mandsaur, Malhargarh, Suwarsa, Garoth (all in Mandsaur district), Neemuch, Manasa, Jawad (all in Neemuch district) and Jaora (in Ratlam district).
In the 2013 Madhya Pradesh election, the BJP had won seven of these eight seats under Mandsaur Lok Sabha constituency with the Congress winning Suwarsa assembly segment.
In the 2018 Madhya Pradesh assembly election, the seat tally under Mandsaur Lok Sabha seat remains the same despite farmers' anger, Congress's campaign on farm issues and death of six farmers in police firing.
The BJP won all the seats that it had won five years ago while the Congress barely managed to win its lone Suwarsa seat by 350 votes.
Mandsaur District
- Mandsaur - BJP retains
- Malhargarh - BJP retains
- Suwarsa - Congress retains
- Garoth - BJP retains
Neemuch District
- Neemuch - BJP retains
- Manasa - BJP retains
- Jawad - BJP retains
Ratlam District
- Jaora - BJP retains
The story has been updated.
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