BHOPAL: Much before the battle of votes at the bulk 24 assembly by-elections, Madhya Pradesh is presently witnessing another battle of sorts – a war of 'Missing' posters.
Gwalior, the hometown of powerful erstwhile royal Scindia family saw “Missing” posters bearing the pictures of ex-union minister and BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia being put by supporters of a Congress leader Siddharth Singh Rajawat.
The posters were put all across the city, including the palace of the erstwhile royal family, the Scindia clan.
Despite Jyotiraditya Scindia no longer being either an MP or an MLA, the posters bore his picture and read “Talash: Gumshuda Jan Sevak Ki, Congress mein rahkar jo janseva nahi kar paa rahe they, jo corona mahamari ke samay aprawasi mazdooron ki awaz na utha sake, jinhe road par utarne ka shauk thaa ve aaj gumshuda hain.
Talash kar laane waale ko 5100 nagad inaam (Search on for missing public servant, one who couldn’t do public service in Congress, one who failed to raise the voice of migrant labourers during the corona pandemic and one who loved hitting the streets, but is presently missing. Whoever searches and brings him back will get Rs 5,100).”
The state Congress leader Siddharth Singh Rajawat while owning responsibility for the posters said similar posters will be put across Gwalior-Chambal region, which Scindia believes is his political turf.
Just a few hours after the posters appeared in Gwalior city, the Scindia supporters and BJP workers tore the posters across the city.
A case was registered against the Congress leader Siddharth Singh Rajawat u/s 188, 505(1)(c) of IPC and he was arrested by the Gwalior police.
Similar “Missing” posters bearing pictures of Congress MLA from Bhitarwar seat and former MP minister Lakhan Singh Yadav were also put up in many parts of Gwalior district by people anti to Yadav.
Yadav is the only Scindia loyalist MLA who didn’t quit Vidhan Sabha membership and Congress in March.
Just a few days back, similar posters bearing pictures of ex-Vidhan Sabha Speaker and Congress MLA from Gotegaon seat NP Prajapati had gone viral over social media in Narsinghpur district.
A few days prior to it, similar posters of ex-CM and Chhindwara MLA Kamal Nath and his Chhindwara MP son Nakul Nath were found in various parts of Chhindwara town.
With the poster war already being on between Congress and BJP supporters, the political atmosphere is charging up ahead of 24 bulk assembly polls slated in MP in the coming months.