Congress managed to regain its lost ground winning four of the ten seats in Vidarbha region in the Lok Sabha elections.
In a significant march forward, Congress managed to regain its lost ground winning four of the ten seats in Vidarbha region in the Lok Sabha elections.
In the backdrop of the huge unrest over the farmers’ suicide in this cotton-growing belt, the ruling Congress was confronted with the formidable challenge to initiate major policy decisions to enable them to re-connect the organisation with the people of Vidarbha.
MPCC chief Manickrao Thackre said, “The special loan waiver offered by prime minister Manmohan Singh and chief minister Ashok Chavan appears to have gone well with the masses. We succeeded in reassuring the debt-ridden farmers and that made a difference.”
The Rs7,500-crore loan waiver package appears to have negated the anti-incumbency wave against the Democratic Front government. Another crucial factor which worked in their favour was the inability of BSP to split the Congress vote bank.
At stake was the political career of heavyweights namely AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik (Ramtek), union minister Vilas Muttemwar, and senior leader Datta Meghe (Wardha) who managed to win their respective seats.
However, Buldhana (Sena), Amaravati (BJP), Yavatmal-Washim (Sena) and Akola (BJP) remained unconquered by the Congress. The Sonia Gandhi rally appears to have worked magic for hi-profile civil aviation minister (NCP) Praful Patel who contested from Bhandra-Gondia.
The Congress may have thwarted the BSP but the local dalit leaders managed to play spoilsport in some segments, thus benefiting the BJP in atleast two seats. Prakash Ambedkar, chief of Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) with his massive network in Akola and Amravati, worked against the Congress.
Traditionally, Vidarbha has always remained a Congress bastion. Even during the Janata Party wave (1977) this was one region which stood with the Indira Gandhi-lead Congress. However, in the 2004 elections, the Congress faced a total rout. Of the total eleven seats (before delimitation) they managed to win just one (Nagpur).
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