Bhopal: The BJP has deployed Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and other prominent Yadav leaders to engage with the community in Guna constituency, from where it has fielded Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Having denied a ticket to sitting MP K.P. Yadav — a former loyalist of Scindia, whom he defeated in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections — the party is now intensifying efforts to garner support from Yadavs, who hold significant sway in Guna.
With this in mind, the party also organised a ‘Yadav Samaj Sammelan’ in the Chanderi block of Ashoknagar Thursday. CM Mohan Yadav was the chief guest at the event. Also present were KP Yadav himself, Scindia and minister of state and Govindpura MLA Krishna Gaur, another prominent Yadav face.
“I congratulate K.P. Yadav for getting BJP a resounding victory in the 2019 elections. But I also congratulate Jyotiraditya Scindia and his family for protecting Hindu monuments during the Mughal invasion,” said CM Mohan Yadav. “Lord Krishna’s mandir in Ujjain is a gift from the Scindia family.”
To further showcase KP Yadav’s continued support for the BJP, the CM said, “KP Yadav will not only hold the fort in Guna, but also campaign for the party across the state with me…Ye Scindia ji ka chunav nahi hai, ye mera chunav hai, saare Yadav samaj kaa chunav hai (this is Scindia’s election, my election, election for the whole Yadav community),” he added.
Speaking at the sammelan, Scindia said, “I have unflinching support of the Yadav community and I cannot forget 2002 when they stood by me,” he said, adding that the Yadavs will once again take the BJP to victory.
Scindia has held Guna since 2002, but was defeated in 2019 by K.P. Yadav by a margin of over 1 lakh votes. However, now, with Scindia in BJP, the party has chosen him over KP Yadav to contest from here.
Meanwhile, the Congress has fielded Rao Yadvendra Singh against Scindia.
A prominent Yadav leader, Singh’s father Rao Deshraj Singh Yadav had contested against Madhavrao Scindia under the BJP banner in 1999 and then Jyotiraditya Scindia in 2002. By contesting Rao Yadvendra Singh, who comes from an affluent Yadav family with strong RSS links, the Congress is hoping to cash in on the perceived discontent over KP Yadav being dropped by the BJP.
With a population of over 4 lakh, Yadavs constitute the largest community accounting for over 20 percent of the voters in Guna, said, Raju Yadav a member of Yadav Mahasabha in Guna. This is followed by SC voters, who account for 19 percent, of Guna’s population, and STs (14 percent) and Muslims (4.2 percent).
The Guna parliamentary seat comprises Ashok Nagar and part of Guna and Shivpuri districts. It is a general category seat.
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Age old fight
With the patronage of Scindia’s grandmother Rajmata Scindia, Rao Deshraj Yadav secured three consecutive terms as MLA from Mungaoli under the BJP banner. Bolstered by her support, Yadav’s influence in the region grew rapidly, to the extent that it was considered difficult to do politics in the region without his support.
However, Yadav’s political relevance began waning after Madhavrao Scindia rebelled against his mother and contested the Guna seat on a Congress ticket in 1999. This led to Yadav being fielded by the BJP against Scindia, resulting in Yadav’s defeat.
Subsequently, in 2002, when Jyotiraditya Scindia contested the Guna by-election following his father’s demise, the BJP once again nominated Yadav, but he lost again, this time by a margin of over 4 lakh votes.
With the rise of Scindia, then with the Congress, in Guna, and the demise of Rao Deshraj Yadav in October 2016, Yadvendra’s family felt sidelined within the BJP.
In March 2020, when Scindia joined the BJP, the Yadvendra family began gravitating towards the Congress.
Rao Deshraj Yadav’s wife Bai Sahab Yadav, his other son Ajay Pratap Yadav and Ajay’s wife Alka Yadav became members of zila panchayat from Ashok Nagar during the July 2022 panchayat elections, demonstrating the family’s significant hold in the region. Ajay Pratap Yadav defeated Scindia-supported Mohan Singh Yadav to get elected.
Months before the 2023 assembly polls, Yadvendra joined the Congress with much fanfare in Bhopal. He was followed by his brother Ajay Pratap Yadav and mother Bai Sahab Yadav. The Congress fielded Yadvendra from Mungaoli assembly seat, but he lost by a narrow margin of 5,400 votes.
Now, the party is putting its hope in him again, hoping he will be able to consolidate Yadav votes in the Congress’s favour.
During the sammelan Thursday, though, Scindia reminded members of the Yadav community of the BJP’s efforts in empowering them. He cited examples such as the appointment of Babulal Gaur, a Yadav, as the Chief Minister of the state in 2006, and, more recently, the elevation of Mohan Yadav to CM’s post.
“When Congress had a chance to make Subash Yadav chief minister, the party denied him the opportunity, keeping Yadavs away from the top post,” he said.
He also spoke of the unwavering support of the Scindia family for the Yadav community, likening it to a steadfast rock. He credited this to his grandmother Rajmata Scindia who placed her trust in Deshraj Yadav.
According to a close aid of Scindia, the Union minister is ensuring that no outside workers, especially those from the Congress who remain loyal to him, are put on the field to work in Guna constituency. “Having realised that getting outside support irked the BJP workers of the constituency, as was seen during the bypolls of 2020, and then during the panchayat and assembly elections, Scindiaji is ensuring that such mistakes are repeated. Now he is taking into confidence grassroot BJP workers and only working with them,” he said, requesting anonymity.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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