Chouhan embarks on 'padyatra'

Budhni, MP, Apr 24 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, who is the BJP candidate for Budhni assembly bypoll, today began his 150-km-long 'padyatra' from Gopalpur as a part of election campaigning.

Mr Chouhan said he has got an opportunity for mass contact with the Election Commission (EC) advancing the date for bypoll from April 24 to May 3. He wanted to make the best out of the opportunity.

Expressing confidence about his victory from Budhni seat, he said the Congress has unnecessarily raked up the issue of violation of the model code of conduct in face of its imminent defeat.

The Chief Minister said he supported following of election procedure and the model code. He ensured that full cooperation will be extended to the EC to ensure that parties adhered to the model code.

He said he had undertaken 'padyatras' several times in the area before. He will travel 20-25 km every day and contact people in 60 villages in the week-long yatra.

Reiterating that he supported values and principles in politics, Mr Chouhan said his political life was an example of this.

He said Budhni was well-known area for him and he shared deep emotional attachment with its people.

Mr Chouhan's native village falls in Budhni constituency. He is known as 'Paon Paon Wale Bhaiya' here, as he had taken out several 'padyatras' in the area earlier.

He has been constantly winning from Vidisha parliamentary constituency -- Budhni seat falls in this constituency -- since the past four elections.

Mr Chouhan had received 68,084 votes from Budhni during last Lok Sabha election. His closest rival Congress' Narmada Prasad Sharma could manage merely 25,558 votes.

A total of 16 candidates, including Mr Chouhan, Congress' Rajkumar Patel and GGP's Gulzar Markam, are in the fray for the Budhni bypoll.

UNI XC-PS VJ KP1953