BJP fields grassroots tribal leader, Cong reposes faith in ex MLA

Bhopal: State BJP president Nandkumar Singh Chouhan on Monday declared Betul's sitting district panchayat president Mangal Singh Dhurve as party candidate for bypoll in Ghoradongri (ST) assembly seat. Polling is scheduled on May 30 and counting will take place on June 2. The seat was vacated in March after BJP legislator Sajjan Singh Uike died of diabetes-related complications.Meanwhile, in the evening, Congress announced candidature of former MLA from the seat Pratap Singh Uike. A release from 24, Akbar Road, New Delhi said that AICC president had approved name of Uike who had won the seat twice in 1993 and 1998 but was defeated by BJP's Sajjan Singh Uike in 2003.
Dhurve's selection came as a surprise because state BJP election committee had on Sunday finalised three names, including Sajjan Singh Uike's widow Ganga Bai. Election panel meeting was attended by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state party chief Nandkumar, veteran leader Kailash Joshi, Union minister for steels and mines Narendra Singh Tomar and state organisational general secretary Suhas Bhagat. It was largely expected that BJP would go with the sympathy flow of the constituency located in Betul district and field Ganga Bai. The remaining names in the list were of former MLA Geeta Bai who won the seat for the party in 2008 assembly elections and Dhurve.
Born in 1975, Dhurve is a tribal leader. He was elected sarpanch of his village Khokhra Raiyyat at the age of 25. His wife Radhiya Bai was elected sarpanch from the same village in 2005. Five years later, he was back as village sarpanch. In March 2015, he was elected Betul district panchayat chief unopposed.BJP sources said that Dhurve was fielded because of his direct links with tribals in Betul. Moreover, his election as district panchayat president without any challenge also helped him bag the ticket. Sources said that Suhas Bhagat wanted a young face with grassroots connection to be fielded. Since 1990, Ghoradongri voters have elected BJP candidates four times. In last assembly elections in 2013, BJP's Sajjan Singh Uike took on Congress' Bramha Bhalavi and won by a margin of 8,084 votes. BSP's Sohanlal Uike managed to secure only 2,481 votes.