MP polls: Rau constituency to see rerun of 2018 contest, BJP looks to dent Congress stronghold

MP polls: Rau constituency to see rerun of 2018 contest, BJP looks to dent Congress stronghold

The Congress has fielded its sitting MLA and former cabinet minister Jitu Patwari (49) for the fourth time, while the BJP has reposed faith for the second time in its leader Madhu Verma (71), who lost to Patwari in the 2018 poll by a thin margin of 5,703 votes.

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The Rau Assembly segment, spread over urban and rural parts of Indore, has 3.56 lakh voters, including a sizeable number of farmers. Many of the cultivators have been unhappy with the BJP government's process of acquisition of agricultural land for a proposed economic corridor project.

In 2008, Patwari lost this assembly segment to BJP's Jitu Jirati. But in 2013, Patwari won the seat and continued the winning streak in 2018.

BJP candidate Verma told PTI that despite being a cabinet minister in the previous Kamal Nath-led Congress government, Patwari failed to keep his promise of setting up a big government hospital in Rau.

The development in Rau happened due to the BJP government's efforts, said Verma, the former chairman of Indore Development Authority.

However, Patwari claimed that Rau assembly segment has been "more developed" than state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's traditional Budhni constituency.

"Verma is a good man and like a father figure to me. In the Indian tradition, is it clear that after some time the son has to take over the responsibility and the father shows the way. I am going to take the blessings of Verma for the win," Patwari said referring to the septuagenarian rival.

Verma hit back at Patwari saying, “Age does not matter in delivering public services. Despite being younger to me, Patwari did not care for the people of Rau. And that is why I, like a father figure, had to enter the election arena."

Rau has a large chunk of farmers, who have been protesting against the state government's process of acquisition of fertile agricultural land for the proposed Indore-Pithampur Economic Corridor project spread over 3,200 acres.

This area is also famous for potato cultivation.

Farmer Atul Kushwaha, has been cultivating potato at his field in Sindoda village, said, "The state government wants to acquire our fertile land in the name of Indore-Pithampur Economic Corridor Project at a very cheap price compared to the current market rate, for the sake of big industrialists. We oppose this injustice."

Kushwaha said in the run-up to the polls, Patwari and Verma have been assuring they are with the farmers and that the land of cultivators will not be allowed to be taken over without their consent.

"But after the formation of government, no one listens to us and political parties get down to their business," said the farmer.