Dilip Singh Gurjar: To Dismantle BJP MP Sudhir Gupta's Hope For A Third Term In Mandsour (image: instagram.com/mla_dilip_singh_gurjar/)

Dilip Singh Gurjar, a former legislator, is the Congress candidate for the Mandsour Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh. He is pitted against sitting BJP MP Sudhir Gupta. Sudhir Gupta has been representing the constituency for the past two terms.

Dilip Singh Gurjar has represented the Nagda-Khachroda assembly segment multiple times. While considering him for the Lok Sabha seat, Congress is assured of his capacity to shift the existing political currents which is favouring BJP. For instance, Dilip Singh Gurjar won the assembly seat in 2003 by fighting as an independent candidate. Besides, some regions of Khachrod assembly seat are linked to Mansdour Lok Sabha constituency, hence his influence cannot be dismissed. In addition, Congress was keeping in mind social equations as well. By fielding Dilip Singh Gurjar, the party was giving representation to the Gurjar community. He is considered a supporter of Congress veteran and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh.

Mandsour constituency comprises the entire Mandsaur and Neemuch districts, and it includes part of Ratlam district. The eight assembly segments that belong to Mandsour are Jaora, Mandsour, Malhargarh, Suwasra, Garoth, Manasa, Neemuch, and Jawad. The seat has been considered a traditional stronghold of the BJP. Ever since the Constitution came into being, the Congress has won only four times. The BJP”s Dr. Lakshminarayan Pandey represented Mandsour eight times.

Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan, put an end to Lakshminarayan Pandey”s winning streak by winning the consituency in 2009. Following the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the “Modi wave” proved influential wherein BJP”s Sudhir Gupta was successful in wresting this seat from Congress again.