This has further weakened Singh’s position and his electorate is only too well aware of it, though it continues to respect the Singh family name. In 1952, Arjun Singh’s father Raja Shiv Bahadur Singh, was the official Congress candidate but the then PM Jawahar Lal Nehru campaigned against him on corruption charges. To uphold the family name in 1947, Arjun Singh fought as an Independent from Churhut and entered the Vidhan Sabha as a 27-year-old. Barring a short period when he was with the Tiwari Congress, Singh has spent 50 years with the Congress active both at the state and national levels. He was CM of MP thrice and central minister many times over. The locals acknowledge him as the biggest leader of the Vindyas but are quick to add that he has neglected the area.
In Sidhi, Satna and Reeva, the loss of faith is tangible. In 1980 when he became CM for the first time a Dalda factory came up in Churhat, a cement factory in Baghwar and a khandsari mill, all of which lie closed while the BJP and the Congress trade charges.
The BJP MLA, Kedarnath Shukla from Seedhi reasons:” If Arjun Singh was that big a leader all seats would have gone to his party. But that never happened. The fall of the Samajwadis helped him rise. His rise was a result of circumstances. For years he was minister for education and health. In both these areas, we continue to be laggards”.
It is not that Singh does not have his supporters, at Saadha, Kalyan Singh says, “He got us a degree college and factories.” Shankar Bahadur Singh of the same village says: “Earlier people were more accepting of failure. Not so now.” There is praise for Singh’s son Ajay who helps people personally.
The tribals are unhappy. At Kapoori village Mangal Molai says, “I don’t have a job card as hundreds of others. We don’t even have disability certificates. The Churhut college runs under a tin shade. The roads are pitiable.”
Satna’s former Congress MLA, Arun Pratap Singh, says: “Arjun Singh helped many people in the area but never took anyone with him.” Another former MLA Ramashray Prasad Singh says: “He was interested in promoting only his own family. That was his undoing.” The district’s Congress president says, “Things were different earlier. There was a lack of opposition. Now the backwardness coupled with a vibrant opposition is eroding faith in Arjun Singh. Even his son is unable to capitalise on his name.”
But the master politician that he is, on November 14, Arjun Singh distributed watches, shawls and certificates to 2,500 old Congressman and used the occasion to declare: we are not a political dynasty.”
In Sidhi, Satna and Reeva, the loss of faith is tangible. In 1980 when he became CM for the first time a Dalda factory came up in Churhat, a cement factory in Baghwar and a khandsari mill, all of which lie closed while the BJP and the Congress trade charges.
The BJP MLA, Kedarnath Shukla from Seedhi reasons:” If Arjun Singh was that big a leader all seats would have gone to his party. But that never happened. The fall of the Samajwadis helped him rise. His rise was a result of circumstances. For years he was minister for education and health. In both these areas, we continue to be laggards”.
It is not that Singh does not have his supporters, at Saadha, Kalyan Singh says, “He got us a degree college and factories.” Shankar Bahadur Singh of the same village says: “Earlier people were more accepting of failure. Not so now.” There is praise for Singh’s son Ajay who helps people personally.
The tribals are unhappy. At Kapoori village Mangal Molai says, “I don’t have a job card as hundreds of others. We don’t even have disability certificates. The Churhut college runs under a tin shade. The roads are pitiable.”
Satna’s former Congress MLA, Arun Pratap Singh, says: “Arjun Singh helped many people in the area but never took anyone with him.” Another former MLA Ramashray Prasad Singh says: “He was interested in promoting only his own family. That was his undoing.” The district’s Congress president says, “Things were different earlier. There was a lack of opposition. Now the backwardness coupled with a vibrant opposition is eroding faith in Arjun Singh. Even his son is unable to capitalise on his name.”
But the master politician that he is, on November 14, Arjun Singh distributed watches, shawls and certificates to 2,500 old Congressman and used the occasion to declare: we are not a political dynasty.”
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