In a remarkable turn of events, Vivek ‘Bunty’ Sahu, the 45-year-old chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Chhindwara unit, emerged victorious in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh. Sahu earned the title of ‘giant slayer’ after defeating Congress’s sitting MP Nakul Nath, son of former chief minister Kamal Nath, by a significant margin of 1,13,618 votes in Chhindwara, a constituency long dominated by the Nath family.
This victory is a milestone for Sahu, who had previously faced three electoral defeats at the hands of the Nath family. Sahu’s earlier attempts included losing to Nakul Nath in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and twice to Kamal Nath in the 2019 Madhya Pradesh assembly bypolls and the assembly elections held last year. The triumph is also pivotal for the BJP, which had struggled to breach the Nath stronghold despite its nearly two decades of rule in the state.
In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express, Sahu shared his thoughts on the victory, his vision for Chhindwara, and his perspective on the Nath family’s political future.
Reflecting on His Victory
“The people of Chhindwara have given me a big responsibility,” Sahu stated. “They have accepted our dreams and put their faith in us. I’m happy and will work towards helping Chhindwara develop and grow.”
The Key to Victory
Sahu attributed his success to the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The biggest factor was Modi. The policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been accepted by the people. In the last 10 years, there was a BJP government in the Centre and a Congress MP in Chhindwara. Voters were fed up with the MP and wanted to be part of the BJP government’s development agenda,” he explained.
Analyzing Nakul Nath’s Defeat
“Nakul did not play his part as an MP as he should have,” Sahu criticized. “He would come to Chhindwara holding his father’s hand, picnic here, and leave. His whole campaign was centered on Kamal Nath — Nakul was fighting the election on his father’s name alone. The father fought the election on his merit because he knew his son couldn’t. The people of Chhindwara knew this too.”
Kamal Nath’s Political Future
Sahu was blunt about Kamal Nath’s future in politics. “I think Kamal Nath should now retire from politics. He couldn’t shore up a victory for his son. The people of Chhindwara rejected them within five months of Kamal Nath winning the Chhindwara assembly seat. He should resign as MLA and leave.”
Unifying the BJP in Chhindwara
Addressing concerns about internal divisions within the BJP in Chhindwara, Sahu emphasized unity. “We’re united. It’s the Congress that should reflect on why it’s broken. Not a single BJP leader has left for the Congress here. We take everyone with us and believe in the slogan ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’. Meanwhile, the Congress is still focused on its own families. Kamal Nath didn’t let go of a single opportunity to promote his family. No local leader is given a chance to grow in the party.”
Plans for Chhindwara’s Development
“Kamal Nath is credited with promoting development in Chhindwara. How will you take this forward as an MP?” Sahu responded, “We’ll be holding consultations with various stakeholders to chart a development course soon. We’ll take Chhindwara forward.”
Sahu’s victory marks a new chapter in Chhindwara’s political landscape, with hopes for a fresh approach to development under his leadership.
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