BJP MLA holds his own election for evaluation ahead of MP assembly polls

Sanjay Pathak, a BJP lawmaker from Madhya Pradesh, made headlines after he held his own election in his district to determine whether or not he should run in the upcoming state assembly elections scheduled for later this year. Pathak represents the Vijayraghavgarh assembly constituency in the Katni district of Madhya Pradesh. In order to decide whether or not to run in the upcoming state assembly elections, he has been conducting the election. In the Vijayraghavgarh assembly, voting began on August 21 and will last until August 25. Starting on August 25 itself, the votes will begin to be counted.

He has divided his assembly constituency into 10 divisions, 25 sectors and there are 280 polling booths. The BJP MLA said if he gets over 50 per cent vote then only he would present his request for a ticket from the party to contest the state assembly polls.
There is a question in the slip “Do you want to make Sanjay Pathak the Pradhan Sevak?” and Yes or No options are available in the slip. The public will have to mark their choice and then put the slip in the box. After this, ink will also be applied on the finger who voted.

“Before the state assembly elections, I thought that once I should evaluate myself as to what are the orders and instructions of the people of my area for contesting the next elections. So I am putting myself through this mandate, I am taking the instructions of the public, if the public of the area will say, then only I will contest the election,” the BJP MLA said.
He added that if he gets over 50 percent of the vote in the poll then only he would contest the election.
“When over 50 percent of the public will give instructions that I should contest elections, then I will put my candidature before the BJP leadership, whatever the party decides will be accepted,” he said.

When discussing the preparation for the elections for his evaluation, Pathak stated that he had created 280 polling booths and divided the entire assembly constituency into 10 zones and 25 sectors. No locals are involved; all duties have been delegated to outsiders.