MP polls: Differences over shifting KP Singh from Picchore to Shivpuri, Cong likely to withdraw decision

BHOPAL: Amid the mystery over the Congress' shifting of its five-time sitting MLA K.P. Singh from Pichhore Assembly seat to Shivpuri, the party is now under pressure to undo the damage.

The Shivpuri seat was to be given to Virendra Raghuvanshi, who recently left the BJP and joined Congress. Shivpuri seat has come into light after state Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia announced not to contest the Assembly election due to health reasons.

Ever since the political circles have been abuzz with speculation, including that she might have vacated the seat for her nephew and Union Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Amid the speculation, this Congress' decision to move Singh to Shivpuri has not only annoyed the supporters of Virendra Raghuvanshi, but also the state Congress president, Kamal Nath.

A group of Raghuvanshi’s supporters staged a protest at Kamal Nath’s residence a day after the party announced the names of 144 candidates. In a viral video, Kamal Nath was heard saying that even he was surprised as to why K.P. Singh was shifted to Shivpuri from Picchore.

Following the resentment from the party workers, the Congress leadership has called K.P. Singh and Virendra Raghuvansi for a meeting in Delhi. Sources told IANS that the top leadership of the Congress is likely to send K.P. Singh back to Pichhore and Raghuvansi is likely to be fielded from Shivpuri seat. Two-time BJP MLA from Kolaras Assembly seat -- Virendra Raghuwanshi joined the Congress recently and he was assured that the party would field him from Shivpuri seat.

But, why K.P. Singh, who has won five consecutive Assembly elections from the Pichhore seat, was shifted to Shivpuri remained a mystery. Decreasing victory margin for the past two-three elections may have forced the party to shift K.P. Singh shifted from Pichhore to Shivpuri.

Singh, who had won in 2013 with 7,000 votes, the victory margin decreased to 2,100 in 2018. A Gwalior-Chambal based politician told IANS that the election commission has found a large number of fake voters in many seats of Gwalior-Chambal region.

At least 5,000-7,000 voters were removed from each constituency located in the bordering area of Uttar Pradesh. In fact, the leader of opposition and Congress MLA from Lahar (Bhind seat) has then written to the Election Commission alleging that voters’ were removed on the behest of the BJP’s direction.