Congress leader Phool Singh Baraiya is in the headlines after the Madhya Pradesh assembly election results because he had promised to blacken his face if the Bharatiya Janata Party managed to secure 50 seats in the state. He had also provided the time and location for this and promised to do it in front of Bhopal Raj Bhavan at 2 pm on 7th December.
As per the promise, the Bhander MLA showed up outside Raj Bhavan accompanied by party leaders and workers as well as former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh who put a black mark on the former’s face. Baraiya then requested the senior Congress leader to apply it more but Singh declined to do so. Other party members were also seen smiling along with both the leaders.
In a bizarre explanation, Phool Singh Baraiya claimed that his action was for the protection of democracy and the constitution. He asserted that he had fulfilled his promise. He alleged, “Digvijaya Singh refused but I had to keep my word. Congress and I will keep fighting for democracy.”
Digvijaya Singh complimented him on keeping his pledge. “I congratulate Phool Singh Baraiya for sticking to his words. I stopped him because what he stated turned out to be true. Despite having a lead, the BJP received fewer than 50 seats in the postal vote. Hence, he doesn’t need to blacken his face. The face of BJP should be blackened since they are the ones who brought democracy to an end.”
He added, “I am applying this black mark so that Baraiya does not attract anyone’s evil eye. We are people of our word and therefore, I am honouring him with a tilak (forehead mark). In actuality, EVM is going to be blackened because Congress won on the ballot paper while lost in the EVM.”
Speaking about the BJP’s overwhelming win in the election, the MLA charged that the party was purchasing votes. He claimed that to buy popular support, the party had delivered envelopes stuffed with notes. “They have conspired to win the elections. I had to travel a lot for campaigning. I met people belonging to different castes and constituencies, but nowhere I had felt the public’s inclination towards the saffron party.”
Yogesh Dandautiya, the leader of the Kisan Congress had earlier in Gwalior blackened his face in support of Phool Singh Baraiya. Congressman Rajendra Singh alleged that the latter should not blacken his face. According to him, the BJP wants to blacken the face of Dalits. The party has pledged to provide each individual with Rs 15 lakh. It promised to increase farmers’ incomes by twofold. The MLA doesn’t need to blacken his face because the BJP has not lived up to its commitments.
Phool Singh Baraiya won the election in the Bhander seat with 29 thousand 438 votes and defeated BJP candidate Ghanshyam Pironiya. However, the BJP secured a two-thirds majority in the state by winning 163 seats, while the Congress was reduced to just 66 seats.
