Madhya Pradesh: Unity Of I.N.D.I. Alliance Under Strain, As Congress And Samajwadi Party Field Candidates Against Each Other On 18 Seats

The unity of the I.N.D.I. Alliance bloc is now under scrutiny as the Congress and the Samajwadi Party field candidates against each other on 18 seats in Madhya Pradesh.

Kamal Nath, the state Congress chief, expressed his wish for a united front in the context of the Lok Sabha elections, regretting the missed opportunity for a coordinated approach in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election.

The Congress unveiled its initial list of 144 candidates during at an auspicious time of 9.09 am on the first day of Navratri.

However, the Samajwadi Party appeared to view this timing as inauspicious, delaying the release of its candidate names by eight hours.

Both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party have fielded candidates on five overlapping seats, including Bhander, Rajnagar, Bijawar, Chitrangi (a Scheduled Caste seat), and Katangi.

The Samajwadi Party later announced an additional 22 candidates, with 13 of them challenging Congress candidates on various seats.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav called for clarity from the Congress regarding the scope of their alliance, whether at the state or national level, warning that without cooperation at the state level, future alliances might be jeopardised.

Kamal Nath affirmed ongoing discussions with the Samajwadi Party and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party at the national level, emphasising the common goal of defeating the BJP.

Despite these intentions, local dynamics in Madhya Pradesh have presented practical challenges.

The historical performance of the Samajwadi Party in the state, where it secured one seat and finished second on five others, in alliance with the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP), adds complexity to the situation.

The entry of the Aam Aadmi Party further complicates the electoral landscape, with significant grassroots support.

While the primary contest remains between the BJP and the Congress, the participation of the GGP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on 230 seats, will intensify competition on at least 100 seats.

These parties have distinct regional bases, with the GGP in tribal areas and the BSP, in regions like Gwalior-Chambal, Bundelkhand, and Vindhya.

Given the substantial tribal and Dalit voter populations in the state, the alliance on 82 reserved seats could influence the electoral balance between the BJP and the Congress.

In the previous elections, the BJP and Congress were closely matched in terms of vote share.