Arun Shrivastava: Congress' New Face To Wrest Bhopal, BJP Bastion (image:twitter.com/arunmpcongress)

Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh is considered as a BJP bastion since it never lost an election since 1989. In the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, Arun Shrivastava is the Congress nominee to give tough fight to BJP candidate Alok Sharma.

Arun Shrivastava serves as the District President of the Congress. He is considered as a supporter of former Chief Minister and Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh. Sources close to Madhya Pradesh Congress revealed that the party”s Central Election Committee has given a ticket to Arun Shrivastava after holding discussion with Digvijay Singh, the pioneer reports.

The grand old party has fielded Arun Shrivastava in Bhopal with the hope to secure Kayastha community votes. Kayastha community possess a large number vote bank in Bhopal. Besides, he holds a good influence among the voters in the region.

Congress has contested Digvijay Singh from Bhopal seat in 2019, PC Sharma in 2014 and Surendra Singh Thakur in 2009. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP”s Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur won the seat by defeating Digvijaya Singh by a margin of 364822 votes. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, BJP candidate Alok Sanjar won the seat by defeating Congress rival PC Sharma by a margin of 370696 votes.

By fielding a new candidate, Congress hopes that it will change their outcomes. However, reports says that since the BJP came to power in 2003, Arun Shrivastava was not seen in active politics. He is an advocate by profession.

Meanwhile, the BJP has fielded Alok Sharma, a new face by replacing the incumbent MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. The party also believes that with new face, they can dismantle anti-incumbency and secure comfortable win in its stronghold.