On the 17th of April, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, one of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP.) With former Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers Uma Bharti and Chouhan declining to contest from the Bhopal seat, Pragya Singh is going to contest from this constituency.
Pragya Singh came into the limelight after being charged and arrested for being involved in the Malegaon blast of 2008. Pragya Singh is said to be a strong contender against Digvijaya Singh, the Indian National Congress’s (INC) candidate from the Bhopal seat.
Despite a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court dropping the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Thakur, the charges filed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) haven’t been dropped yet. Pragya was arrested because the LML Freedom motorcycle used during the blasts was registered on her name.
During the blasts, which took place on the 27th of December in 2008, six people were killed and 101 people were injured when a bomb strapped on the said motorcycle went off at Malegaon. Thakur started off her political career with Abhinav Bharat and Durga Vahini and since the time she entered this world, she is known for her thought provoking and poignant speeches.
While the BJP seems to be happy with their choice for Bhopal, the INC is objecting against this choice. “When known faces like Narendra Singh Toamr, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Uma Bharti fled away from the contest, the BJP was forced to import a candidate against Digvijaya Singh,” INC spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said in a statement.
The Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh for 29 seats will be held over four phases, starting on the 29th April and ending on the 19th of May.
Starting on the 11th of April and ending on the 19th of May, the Lok Sabha elections this year are being held over seven phases.
The results will be declared on the 23rd of May.
Stay tuned for more updates.
