In Budhni, discussions would be lacking without a mention of the constituency’s unique position. As the chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s pocket borough, Budhni in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district is one of the most closely watched elections in the state on November 17. There is little outrage on the ground, although some locals’ claims that the CM’s constituency of 25 years, Budhni, is hardly a model for replication — lack of employment opportunities, notably white-collar positions, inconsistent implementation of social projects are some of the difficulties they highlight. The rumors that Chouhan won’t be the party’s nominee for chief minister in the next elections also don’t particularly worry his ardent fans. An employee of the postal service chuckled, “People here don’t get upset easily. He said that although rumors about the CM being passed up for the position or not given consideration for it serve as conversation starters, there are no signs of widespread demonstrations by his followers on the ground.
Being situated on the banks of the revered Narmada river, some locals acknowledged that the constituency has some reasonably good arterial roads, some significant industries, and a good crop yield. However, they added that Budhni is not a desirable investment location because there are no significant infrastructure projects or employment opportunities.
Given that this is a CM’s seat and a unique constituency, you might argue that people feel comfortable, but nothing remarkable is happening, according to a resident and a government worker who want to remain anonymous.
“The major businesses in this area provide manufacturing work that a person with rudimentary reading skills may do. Higher educated people won’t want to take these up unless they have no other choice or are constrained by family obligations, this individual said.
There is some truth to the Congress’s commitment to return to the previous pension system. Government workers point out that the state government has chosen to hire individuals on a daily pay rather than filling vacancies, which have gone unfilled for years. When the Congress administration took office in 2018, they promised to recruit all daily wagers from scratch and pay them for 26 days each month. If we don’t work the whole seven days, the government still penalizes us financially. Such working circumstances are demoralizing, according to Gulab Chand, a local who works in one of the government offices for a daily rate.
There is little feeling of urgency despite anti-incumbency being a factor in this sixth election for the CM, who was originally elected from Budhni in 1990.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan is always in charge in Budhni. No bahari (outsider) competitor can unseat him, according to Shahganj store owner Nasir Khan. He belongs here.
He noted that the vote against Shivraj was not motivated by resentment for the CM but rather for those in his close circle. “He has people here who ought to be keeping an eye on and following up, but that doesn’t happen. Plans favor people who have strong connections to the local establishment. And it’s that rage that drives people to support his rival,” he said.
Khan used the example of the badly executed PM Awas Yojna, which offers subsidized housing for the underprivileged in rural regions. He said that some families had been waiting years for the approval of a pucca home. “Even the older folks’ pension has been halted for the last three months. The money, so far as we know, have not been released.
Residents of the hamlet of Paraswada praise Chouhan for enhancing their quality of life by installing piped water and 24-hour electricity, despite reservations about pathcy coverage.
“For the previous two years, no work has been assigned under MNREGA, and the awas yojna has also been inadequately administered. It requires several visits to the panchayat and tehsil office to do something as simple as building a sewer in the hamlet. But even when they are angry, individuals show restraint, according to one local.
Arun Yadav of the Congress was defeated by Chouhan, an OBC representative of the BJP and its longest-serving chief minister in the state, in the previous election by a margin of 58,999 votes. The decrease in the margin from 84,805 votes in 2013 was seen as a sign of a decline in his support.
The Congress was supported in a wave, which is why his margin shrunk. People don’t necessarily dislike him, according to Saurav Patel in Paraswada.
Contrarily, most locals dismiss the Congress candidate this time, actor Vikram Mastal, as a lightweight. His depiction of the Hindu god Hanuman on television has generated some curiosity, but not enough for people to see it as a contest between equals.
“Arun Yadav was an OBC leader with a dedicated following. According to Akhilesh Prajapati, owner of a restaurant in Shahganj, “He (Mastal) is seen as an outsider and a compromise candidate that party puts up when they don’t want a hard fight.”
“There is a pattern here; the CM visits the district before submitting his or her candidacy, interacts with citizens during the ashirwad yatra, and then returns solely to express gratitude to them after the results. He doesn’t run for office; this demonstrates his confidence in keeping his territory. His followers believe Mama (as the CM wants to be called) will influence the outcome in his favor,” the postal worker stated.