Kamal Nath bets on new tribal face in crucial bypoll as Chhindwara hangs in the balance

Amid rumours of Nath and Nakul moving to the BJP in February, several Congress leaders, including many in Chhindwara, joined the BJP. The biggest blow to the Nath camp came when three-time Amarwara MLA Kamlesh Shah also deserted the Congress and jumped to the BJP. Amarwara is considered the turf of the Shah family. Shah has been elected MLA from this seat for three consecutive terms, with members of his family having served as legislators earlier. He belongs to the erstwhile Harrai royal family and is considered a strong tribal face. The BJP has fielded Shah and is hoping that his family’s influence and support base will pay dividends.

At present, of the seven Assembly segments that are part of the parliamentary constituency, the BJP holds Amarwara. The rest are with the Congress.

To counter their former associate, the Naths and the Congress required a tribal face and they found a fit in Invati who is the son of Sukhram dada, the chief of Anchalkund Dham that is a popular tribal Hindu temple in Chhindwara. Invati, a former cooperative bank employee, told The Indian Express, “The people of Amarwara put a lot of faith in Shah as he was experienced and worked for the people. Now, he has betrayed the people’s mandate. I have a religious duty to fight this election.”

The Anchalkund Dham is said to have been established around 200 years ago. Major Hindu festivals are celebrated at this site along with a New Year’s fair that attracts large crowds. Politically, leaders have made use of Anchalkund Dham’s cultural significance in their campaigns. Kamal Nath visited the site before beginning his first election outing in 1980 when he was dispatched by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to win Chhindwara for the Congress.

During the Assembly elections last year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Aanchal Kund Dada Darbar, a site revered by tribals. At the time, the BJP also held meetings with tribal religious leaders in the region who are said to hold considerable sway among the local population.

The Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) that also has a sizable tribal vote bank has fielded 27-year-old Deviram Bhalavi for the bypoll. The GGP won the seat in 2003. Since then, although the party has not been able to win this seat, it has turned every election into a three-cornered contest. In 2003, Shah won the Assembly election against the BJP’s Monika Shah Batti by 25,086 votes. The GGP’s Bhalavi stood third, securing 55,988 votes.

The BJP is confident of a win, with Shah on its side. “We have begun holding meetings with social organisations, where they have informed the local people about the welfare work being done for the poor under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi through door-to-door contact,” said a BJP functionary.