Congress regains Ratlam Lok Sabha Seat, increases tally to 45

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has received a major setback, as the Congress snatched Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh from the ruling party and increased its tally to 45. Congress veteran Kantilal Bhuria defeated BJP’s Nirmala Bhuria by over 80,000 votes. They both are relatives.

Bypoll held in Ratlam-Jhabua following the death of Dilip Singh Bhuria. Dilip Singh Bhuria was a Congress veteran till he switched over to the BJP in 2014. Congress always won Ratlam, but lost in 2014 during Modi Wave and Dilip Singh’s clout. BJP won Ratlam-Jhabua for the first time in 2014.

Dilip Singh Bhuria’s daughter Nirmala Bhuria contested the polls. But, Congress stalwart Kantilal Bhuria proved superior to her. Petlawad blasts, which killed over 100 people, was another key factor behind people’s anger against MP Government.

BJP needs to self-introspect why it has lost the ground it gained in Ratlam in 2014. The BJP’s tally went down to 281 in Lok Sabha with this loss.