Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh): Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, who was introduced in Chhindwara by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as her "third son" in the 1980 Lok Sabha polls, is facing a stiff challenge from Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Prahlad Patel, Union Minister of State for Coal, in this constituency.

Can the saffron surge, which had swept Madhya Pradesh in the Assembly elections four months ago, be replicated in this predominantly tribal Lok Sabha constituency, dislodging Nath who has represented this seat on six previous occasions?

Elections 2004-The Drama unfolds...
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The electoral battle has assumed significance by the facts that Chief Minister Uma Bharti is also the guardian minister of Chhindwara and Patel is seen as her protégé.

Like the Assembly polls in November last year, "Bijli, Sadak and Pani" (electricity, roads and drinking water) remain key poll issues in this underdeveloped region.

BJP is highlighting the failure of Nath to develop the region despite representing it for 24 years. "There is no development in the region. However, people know that Nath grew from a nobody to own a palatial bungalow and a helicopter," says Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president of Chhindwara, Anil Baj.

Even Feroze Varun Gandhi, the latest entrant to BJP and son of late Sanjay Gandhi with whom Nath had shared an excellent rapport, told a public meeting, "I am here to take "prayashchit" (penance) since the candidate backed by my grandmother and father has failed in his task."

Rickshaw-wallah Shiva Uike, however, admits power situation has improved since BJP Government came to power. "Ab load shedding keval ek ghanta hoti hain. Pehle to panch-panch ghante bijli gayab rahti thi" (earlier there used to be load shedding for five hours but now it has improved with only one hour power cut per day).

However, at a late night public meeting in Sausar addressed in the light of a lantern since there is no power supply, a Nath supporter and a Congress worker asks, "Kahan hain bijli? Uma Bharti ne kaha tha ki teen mahinon mein 24-ghanta bijli hogi. Per abhi-bhi load shedding horahin hain. BJP sarkar apne wado se mukar rahin hain".

While BJP is making development an issue, Nath supporters are highlighting the alleged "criminal background" of Patel. Congress has issued advertisements in local media urging people to "think before voting in favour of a nominee, against whom 23 police cases have been registered".

Santosh Rai, a Yuva Morcha office-bearer, said all cases registered against Patel are for his participation in peoples' agitation.

Patel, who has a strong following among younger generation, has participated virtually in every agitation against previous Congress regime, political observers point out.

Striking a chord with the local population, Nath is appealing to them not to support "an outsider" who has switched to this constituency barely 24 days ago, whereas he is representing it for 24 years.

Throwing a gauntlet, Patel says, "He has visited more villages in these 24 days than those frequented by Nath in 24 years." BJP could draw benefit from the fact that it bagged all but one of eight Assembly seats in Chhindwara in the polls held four months ago.

The lone Amarwara seat went to Gondwana Ganatantra Party (GGP) nominee Manmohan Shah Butty, who is also in the fray for the Parliamentary seat, making the electoral battle triangular and interesting.

Butty's entry has a potential to tilt the political dynamics of Chhindwara since there are nearly 3.4 lakh tribal voters known as "Gonds" in this region.

"If their popular slogan "Gond ki beti Gondo, Gond ka vote Gond ko" becomes reality then the number of votes polled by Butty could change the scales, political observers here feel.

Except a 1997 by-election, when former Chief Minister Sunderlal Patwa had defeated Nath, Chhindwara has always remained loyal to Congress.

Winning this seat since 1980, Nath took a break only once in 1996 polls in the backdrop of Hawala scandal. Then his wife Alka had contested and won the seat.

Nath avenged his 1997 defeat by trouncing Patwa with a margin of over 1.50 lakh votes in 1998.

Nearly 11.24 lakh voters would decide whether BJP can wrest this seat from Congress on May 5 in the first phase of polling in Madhya Pradesh.