Indore-1 Assembly constituency is one of the 230 Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is one of the nine Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the Indore district and one of the five urban constituencies. This constituency, which encompasses wards 1 to 17 of the Indore Municipal Corporation, has been known for its political volatility, with outcomes swinging in various directions over the years. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been historically dominant in this constituency, winning in 2003, 2008, and 2013. However, in the 2018 Assembly Election, Sanjay Shukla from the Indian National Congress (INC) claimed a victory against the two-term BJP MLA, Shri Sudarshan Gupta, who had previously represented the constituency in 2008 and 2013. In the upcoming 2023 Assembly Elections, BJP has picked Kailash Vijayvargiya as their candidate for this constituency.

Vijayvargiya vs. Shukla: The Clash of Titans in Indore-1 Assembly Constituency

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made a bold move by fielding its National General Secretary, Kailash Vijayvargiya, for the 2023 Assembly Elections in Indore-1 . This decision has captured public attention and underscores the BJP’s commitment to regain its traditional stronghold not only in the Indore-1 Assembly constituency but in all the 9 Assembly constituencies of Indore district . Vijayvargiya has had a remarkable political career spanning four decades in which he has never faced electoral defeat. He has won six consecutive times in the assembly elections held between 1990 and 2013 from different constituencies in the Indore district 1. With his impressive track record and leadership, Vijayvargiya’s candidacy adds a new dimension to the electoral dynamics in the region.

Sanjay Shukla, the sitting MLA of Congress party from Indore-1 Assembly constituency and MLA candidate , also has a strong political background. His late father, Late Vishnu Prasad Shukla Ji, affectionately known as Bade Bhaiya, was a prominent leader of the BJP until his passing in 2022 2. Sanjay Shukla’s cousin is also a politician. Indore-1 has a considerable Brahmin population of approximately 50,000 voters, and they tend to favor the INC as their candidate hails from the Brahmin community . Shri Sanjay Shukla Ji enjoys a positive reputation in the constituency and is seen as a local candidate by the voters.

Kailash Vijayvargiya, the BJP candidate for Indore-1 Assembly constituency, is contesting the election on the vision of India as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi 1. He is also pushing the narrative of Hindutva agenda 2. On the other hand, Sanjay Shukla, the Congress candidate, is focusing on local issues and trying to create a narrative of “Local vs Outsider” 3. It is noteworthy that Kailash Vijayvargiya is a resident of Indore-2 Assembly constituency.

Caste equation : Who has upper hand in upcoming assembly election?

The Indore-1 Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh is home to a diverse range of communities, including Brahmins, Yadavs, Thakurs, and Banias 1. In 2018, the Brahmin community, traditionally staunch supporters of the BJP, shifted their allegiance to the INC, largely due to the presence of a Brahmin candidate, Sanjay Shukla. Yadavs and Muslims have traditionally favoured the INC. The Bania/Agrawal caste, representing the business class community, has had their votes divided between the BJP and INC. Additionally, the votes of the Kushwah, Darji, and Prajapati communities have also been split between the two major political parties. But as BJP has fielded heavyweight leader Kailash Vijayvargiya from this constituency, the upcoming assembly election became interesting. Kailash Vijayvargiya belongs to the Baniya community and the Baniya community is the third largest caste followed by Brahmin and Yadav. In the upcoming assembly Both BJP’s Kailash Vijayvargiya and INC’s Sanjay Shukla are trying to woo caste equation in favour of them. In the upcoming assembly, it seems that Brahim and Yadav votes will be divided solely because of Kailash Vijayvargiya and Sanjay Shukla. The Muslim community which has a population over 55,000 will be decisive in deciding their position. Overall if we see the caste equation candidates will have neck to neck fights.