Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Known for many firsts, Indore emerges as the sole city in India where the ballot showdown is between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and None of the Above (NOTA).
With a total of 14 contenders vying for victory in Indore Lok Sabha constituency, the political landscape is marked by a distinct confrontation between the saffron party and the unconventional option of NOTA.
The narrative took a dramatic turn when the Congress, the primary opposition party, endorsed the NOTA option, thereby reframing the electoral discourse. Despite initially fielding Akshay Bam as its candidate, who later defected to the BJP after withdrawing his nomination, the Congress swiftly pivoted to championing the cause of NOTA.
Following Bam's defection, the Congress convened a meeting in Indore, solidifying their stance to advocate for NOTA in the constituency. As the voting process unfolds today in Indore, the outcome of this unprecedented contest promises to redefine the contours of electoral dynamics in the region.
With BJP's incumbent MP Shankar Lalwani seeking re-election and the Congress strategically backing NOTA, the electoral landscape of Indore pulsates with anticipation. The nation awaits with bated breath as the results of this historic confrontation are slated to be unveiled on June 4, shaping the future trajectory of political engagement in India.
BJP remains undefeated since 1989
Indore Lok Sabha constituency is a stronghold of BJP as it has never tested defeat in the last 35 years from this seat. BJP candidate Sumitra Mahajan had wrested this seat from Congress in 1989. Mahajan won the seat eight times in a row. She was replaced with Shankar Lalwani in 2019 who won the seat with a record 5.47 lakh votes. Though 2018 assembly elections had created a level playing field with both the BJP and Congress having 4 MLAs each, Lalwani had still defeated Congress candidate Pankaj Sanghvi with the highest margin of votes in the history of Indore.
This time when BJP has all eight MLAs in Indore Lok Sabha seat, no senior Congress leaders were willing to contest polls. The Congress had zeroed in on Akshay Kanti Bam but he too pulled out of the poll race at the eleventh hour.
