Junior Bachchan Election Debut From Khajuraho LS Seat?

Speculations are rife within the political circles of the Bundelkhand region in Madhya Pradesh, suggesting that Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav might orchestrate a surprise move by nominating Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan to contest from the Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency.

This potential move aims to pit Bachchan against the incumbent state BJP President Vishnu Dutt Sharma in the upcoming elections.

According to insider chatter, the SP is actively considering fielding the Bollywood actor to generate buzz around the INDIA alliance candidate, thereby intensifying the electoral contest against Sharma in Khajuraho.

The Congress has graciously relinquished the Khajuraho LS seat to the SP as part of their seat-sharing agreement.

A senior SP leader, preferring anonymity, remarked, "Introducing a Bollywood figure into the fray not only injects glamour into the electoral arena of Khajuraho but also poses a formidable challenge to the BJP stalwart, disrupting his anticipated easy victory."

The Bachchan family shares close ties with Madhya Pradesh, particularly with Bhopal, where Bollywood icon Jaya Bhaduri, Amitabh Bachchan's wife, hails from. Recently, Jaya Bhaduri secured reelection to the Rajya Sabha as an SP nominee.

As per the arrangement between the Congress and SP in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress will contest in 28 LS seats, leaving one for the SP. Sharma is vying for reelection from Khajuraho, expressing confidence in securing the seat with a significant margin.

Sharma dismissed potential competition from the SP, citing the party's modest vote share in the state's previous Assembly polls. He exuded confidence, declaring BJP's sweeping victory across all 29 LS seats in Madhya Pradesh.

Yash Bharti, the spokesperson for the SP's MP unit, revealed that the party leadership is yet to finalize its candidate for Khajuraho.

He emphasized that the announcement could be expected within the next 4-5 days, refraining from confirming Bachchan's candidacy or any other contender for the seat.

Bharti highlighted the SP's growing influence in the Bundelkhand region, despite its defeat in the November Assembly polls where the party contested in 52 seats, primarily in the Bundelkhand area.

Khajuraho is scheduled for polls in the second phase of LS elections on April 26th.