BUDHNI SEAT IS CM CHOUHAN'S IMPREGNABLE FORTRESS

BJP stalwart and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has won this seat on four occasions, including the 2006 byelections.

- RAHUL CHHABRA

Central Madhya Pradesh's Budhni constituency is one of the four Assembly constituencies located in Sehore district. It is a segment of Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency and is dominated by tribals and OBCs.

BJP stalwart and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has won this seat on four occasions, including the 2006 byelections. The Congress has not been able to conquer this impregnable BJP fortress for the last two decades as Chouhan has used his popularity to win the seat in 1990, 2006, 2008, 2013 and 2018. The Congress had last won the constituency in 1998.

Over the years, the shortage of potable water has been a major problem faced by some villages in the constituency. The issue of illegal mining also continues to hit headlines off and on. Bad roads and uncontrolled menace of stray cattle have been bothering the voters for decades.

The 2,74,219 voters in the constituency include 1,41,883 men and 1,32,329 women.

In 2018, Chouhan got 1,23,492 votes which were 60.25% of the total votes polled. His Congress challenger Arun Yadav got 64,493 votes just about half of what Chouhan polled. This was about 31.47% of the total votes cast. The total voting percentage in the constituency in 2018 was 60%.

In 2013, Shivraj Singh Chouhan got 128,730 votes, which were 69.99% of the total votes polled. In 2013, Dr. Mahendra Singh Chouhan of the Congress got 43,925, which was 23.88% of the total votes polled.