Congress wins three seats in Mandsaur bypolls, seat of farmers' unrest, despite BJP victory in MP civic polls

Even though the BJP managed to get an edge over the Congress in Madhya Pradesh civic polls, the results of which were announced on Wednesday, the grand old party of India won three seats in the bypolls of Mandsaur district, the seat of farmers’ agitation. Over eight lakh voters exercised their franchise for the polls in 43 local bodies on 11 August. The counting of votes polled in 43 local bodies was held in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday amid tight security.

The people of Madhya Pradesh have spoken. Congress wins 3 seats in Mandsaur. pic.twitter.com/oWwNPdG5s9

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 16, 2017

According to News 18, on 11 August, three wards of Mandsaur — two wards of Shamgar Nagar Panchayat and one ward of Garoth panchayat — had gone to the polls. Gopal Patel and Neelesh Sanghvi of Congress party won the respective seats on Tuesday. Of the 43 seats (or civic bodies) 26 went to the BJP, 14 to the Congress and three to independents. Congress’ win in Mandsaur is being connected to the farmers’ protest and the disillusionment with the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state. “The results were satisfactory and at places, the party got unprecedented support. Take, for example, Mandsaur – where all three Congress candidates won,” state Congress president Arun Yadav told News18. BJP spokesman Rajneesh Agarwal, however, told CNN-News 18 that small elections should not be connected to the farmers’ movement. [caption id=“attachment_3936667” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] State Election Commissioner R Parshuram said the counting was done at the headquarters of all urban bodies. On the election day, a farmers’ conglomeration had said it will launch another round of protests for over two months from 31 August to voice its demands for a loan waiver and remunerative price for agricultural produce, IANS reported. The objective of the protest marches — which would go on until 10 November — was to unite farmers across the country before their main protest was organised in Delhi during the Winter Session of Parliament, leaders of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), which held farmers’ protest march from Mandsaur to Delhi in July. “After we held a yatra (march) in the wake of killing of six farmers in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh, the government took notice of the farmers’ problems. However, the farmers still are awaiting the fulfilment of their demands,” said Lok Sabha member and farmer leader Raju Shetty. With inputs from IANS