In a strange coincidence, two political adversaries, who have been the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh in the past, will slug it out against each other during next year’s Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Digvijay Singh, the Congress General Secretary, and Uma Bharti, who re-joined the BJP only last week after a period of six years, will be rooting for their parties in the upcoming polls.
While Mr. Singh donned the hat of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister for 10 years from 1993, Ms. Uma was at the helm of affairs for a little less than a year after the 2003 Assembly elections, in which the BJP won handsomely while the Congress was almost decimated.
Ms. Uma has been made the BJP in-charge for next year’s Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Mr. Singh is the Congress General Secretary in-charge of the party’s affairs in that state.
The December 2003 Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh were held at the end of the second term of Digvijay Singh’s stint as Chief Minister. But Uma Bharti, who was the star campaigner for the BJP in the elections, led her party to a victory in more than 170 out of the 230 seats while the Congress failed to get even 40 seats.
She may be hoping to repeat her feat achieved in 2003 in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls due next year. But several challenges pose before her, as Uttar Pradesh is a new state for her in many ways.
Ms. Uma had said sometime back that she had humbled Mr. Digvijay Singh in December 2003 and it remains to be seen whether she can repeat the same this time.
On the other hand, Mr. Singh said he is not worried about Ms. Uma being made in-charge for the BJP’s poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh. Asked what impact Uma’s appointment would have on the upcoming polls, Mr. Singh replied “Nothing!”
