Summary:
Surendra Patwa lost to Congress’ Rajesh Patel, despite a strong BJP wave in thestate, that year. BHOPAL: Bhojpur, famous for historic Lord Shiva’s temple, also has a distinct place in MP’s electoral history, mainly because BJP strongman late Sunderlal Patwa, though hailing from Neemuch, decided to make it his “political” hometown.Patwa won the seat in 1985 for the first time, and won every election after that until 2003, when his nephew, Surendra Patwa, contested from the seat. Pachouri has been fielded from the seat once again and in a situation where Surendra Patwa’s image has taken a hit due to Bank of Baroda’s legal action against him for recovery of dues totaling Rs 34 crore, he may put up a tough fight against him. He, however managed to wrest the seat in 2008 and retained it in the 2013 election despite Congress heavyweight Suresh Pachouri taking to electoral battlefield for the first time in his life.There was another high point in the electoral history of Bhojpur when Ajay Singh, son of Congress stalwart late Arjun Singh , was fielded against chief minister Sunderlal Patwa after the BJP government under him was dismissed by the Union government following Babri mosque demolition. The decision had surprised political observers in the same manner as has the nomination of former state Congress chief Arun Yadav against chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Budhni, this election.The constituency has always been won by the BJP ever since it was created in 1980 (Shaligram of the BJP won the seat in the 1980 election) but Pachouri taking to battle field in 2013 had raised hopes of change on the constituency but electorate in the constituency stuck to the BJP..