The BJP’s choice to name a third Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh has turned a routine poll into a test of Congress unity. The move has highlighted internal discontent within the opposition over the selection of senior leader Meenakshi Natarajan.
On paper the numbers still favour Congress for the third seat. Politically, however, the BJP seems more focused on compelling Congress to show public cohesion while parts of its state leadership privately oppose the high command’s pick, according to functionaries from both sides.
By fielding Mahesh Kewat for the third seat, the BJP has moved the contest from arithmetic to questions of loyalty. A senior BJP leader in Bhopal said the party knows winning outright is difficult but aims to expose divisions inside rival ranks. Even a Congress victory would count as success for the BJP if internal unhappiness becomes visible.
Both parties have entered election-management mode. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has held talks with senior BJP figures and asked leaders to remain in Bhopal until polling on June 18. Congress has called legislature party meetings, summoned MLAs to the capital and secured public endorsements for Natarajan from leaders across factions, including former chief ministers Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh, state Congress chief Jitu Patwari and Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar.
The Rajya Sabha election covers three seats. The BJP has also nominated Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agrawal. Under the proportional-representation system, candidates need a fixed quota of first-preference votes. The BJP holds 163 seats in the 230-member assembly, while Congress has 66. The ruling party can secure two seats comfortably, but the third seat has gained importance because Congress retains just enough strength to compete, though with little margin for error.
Senior BJP leaders had hinted at a third candidate days before Kewat’s nomination was announced. The remarks sparked speculation amid internal Congress debate over Natarajan’s selection. Several state leaders had preferred a candidate with stronger local organisational roots.
Discomfort over the nomination first appeared inside Congress. Senior leader Naresh Gyanchandani publicly questioned the choice and warned of possible cross-voting. Although the party quickly closed ranks, the comments gave the BJP an opening to argue that the nomination lacked full support.
Congress leaders privately admit the arithmetic is tighter than headline figures suggest. Uncertainty over the disqualification case of Bina MLA Nirmala Sapre, who has joined the BJP, has reduced the party’s effective strength. Several functionaries acknowledged disappointment among aspirants and their backers, though most respect Natarajan’s integrity. Concerns centred on limited consultation with the state unit and the central leadership’s focus on organisational loyalty over local equations.
State Congress president Jitu Patwari has repeatedly stated that all party legislators will back the official candidate.
