MP govt dependent on by-poll outcome to stay in power

According to sources, the BJP has asked leaders in states where bypolls are due to carry out both virtual and door-to-door outreach programmes. The results of the bypolls on 27 seats in Madhya Pradesh are extremely crucial as the Shivraj Chouhan government needs to win at least nine seats to survive.

New Delhi: With the Election Commission announcing that it would hold by-polls to 64 state Assembly seats and a Lok Sabha seat "around the same time" as the upcoming Bihar elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party has also started its preparations for the by-polls across 15 states.

Along with the Bihar elections, the by-polls to 27 Assembly seats is of utmost importance to the BJP, as the fate of the Shivraj Singh government would depend on the results.

Among the 64 vacant assembly seats, 27 are in Madhya Pradesh. Most of these 27 seats fell vacant when rebel Congress members resigned from the party and the assembly to join the BJP.

With the resignations of the Congress members, the Kamal Nath-led government fell and the BJP returned to power.

As things stand, the BJP would have to win at least nine seats to retain power in the state.

According to sources, the party had on Wednesday held a meeting with the state office bearers at its headquarters. At the meeting, discussion were held regarding fielding all 22 Scindia camp MLAs, who had switched over from the Congress, sources said.

Meanwhile, at a recent meeting on the Bihar polls chaired by party president JP Nadda, all MPs were tasked with winning the Assembly seats under their constituency, sources said.

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Apart from virtual campaigns, leaders across all states where polls are due were directed by the party to hold virtual campaigns and also go door-to-door in their reach out to the public.

Further, the party told the leaders to strictly follow COVID-19 protocols during campaigning.

According to sources, the leaders have been asked to focus on local issues and also highlight the national achievements of the Modi government like Ram Mandir, abrogation of Article 370 and the Triple Talaq law.

Apart from 27 seats in Madhya Pradesh, by-polls will be held for one assembly seat each in Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka and West Bengal; two seats each in Assam, Jharkhand, Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu and Odisha; five assembly seats in Manipur and eight each in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

Besides, the by-poll to the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat in Bihar has been pending.

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