Madhya Pradesh elections: Some unhappy, but most likely to vote for Shivraj Singh Chouhan

The voters of Budhni constituency represented by Shivraj Singh Chouhan for three terms have a love-hate relationship with the Madhya Pradesh chief minister as they feel he has mostly worked for the benefit of his caste and those having proximity to him.

But when it comes to voting they tend to swing in his favour as he is the chief minister and they pin their hopes on him.

Budhni, a town in Sehore district about 70 km from Bhopal, has been a BJP stronghold and Chouhan won for the first time from here in a byelection in 2003 after he became the chief minister.

Karaar caste, to which Chouhan belongs, has a sizable presence of around 25,000 in this seat. Dhaakar, a caste identical to Karaar, constitute another 10,000, according to locals. The Brahmins, numbering around 22,000, support BJP. Thakurs, numbering roughly 18,000, too, back BJP due to leaders like Rajendra Singh who had vacated this seat for Chouhan in 2003.

Opinion about the work done by Chouhan in his constituency is divided. However, bijli-sadak-paani (power-roads-water) is not an issue, and locals say the place is much better than what it was during the chief ministership of Congress’s Digvijaya Singh.

But grouses are many. Unemployment and farmer distress top the list. Though two cloth making factories — Vardhaman, which also makes threads, and Trident — are located here, locals say they don’t get employment there as the owners fear they will form a union and create hurdles. A call centre established here by a prominent mobile service provider shut down last month and scores of people lost their job.

A farmer agitation took place in Budhni too, though BJP leaders maintain it was fanned by opposition Congress and Samajwadi Party.

Members of Karaar caste defend Chouhan and emphasise that they have got reasonable price for their moong, soyabean and paddy. “There was a rain deficit this year and people had to depend heavily on tubewells for irrigation,” said a farmer.

Chouhan has made a slew of promises and announced various schemes, but people have issues with delivery and say they are tempted not to vote for him this time.

Budhni is known for its wood toys made by the Vishvakarma community that form a miniscule population there.

“Chouhan had promised 13 years back that he will establish a ‘Shilp Gram’ here, but nothing has been done,” said Sujan Vishvakarma, who has a toy making unit at his home. He also upset that his daughter, studying in Bhopal to become a chartered accountant, did not get educational funds from the CM despite scoring more than 90%. Chouhan had promised funds for education of girls and other benefits like bicycle, funds for marriage, etc.

Congress has fielded former union minister Arun Yadav against Chouhan in Budhni. Like the chief minister, Yadav is also an OBC leader but not known much in this constituency. Yadav was MP from Khandwa, 150 kms away from Sehore. Some said he is reaping his father and former minister Subash Yadav’s legacy and has no achievement of his own to boast of.

Yadav can bank on the Yadav votes that number around 22,000 as well as the support of some other backward castes, Muslims and Adivasis.

Some voters say local Congress leader Raj Kumar Patel, who was education minister in Digvijaya Singh’s government, has a huge support base here and can help Yadav.

“But Patel belongs to Dhaakar caste and is a distant relative of Chouhan,” a local Congress leader told ET. “He also belongs to the Digivijaya Singh camp in Congress. So, one does not know how much he will help Arun Yadav. But if he does, this seat can see a contest,” said the person who requested not to be named.

Locals crib that Chouhan has given “laal-battis” to a select half dozen people and banks on them to muster support.

But they concede that at the end of the day most people will vote for their chief minister.