In an all-out effort to make a contest of the Vijaypur by-election, a host of Congress leaders led by state party unit chief Jitu Patwari participated in a farmers protest rally in the election-bound constituency on Friday. Mincing no words, Patwari launched a tirade against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in general and state minister for forests, Ram Niwas Rawat, in particular. In his criticism of the BJP, Patwari targeted former chief minister and incumbent Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan while blaming him for the plight of farmers. The Congress leader said that the party had invested tremendous confidence in Rawat by giving him a party ticket on ten occasions, of which he emerged victorious six times, but the leader had still betrayed the party and the people by joining the BJP.Addressing a massive crowd, Patwari said that the Vijaypur area is number one in poverty and malnutrition, while Rawat and his family are busy accumulating land, property, and businesses. "The tribals of Vijaypur remain impoverished and still collect firewood from the forests. Rawat, who became a cabinet minister in the BJP government after betraying the Congress, has not only betrayed the Congress but has also deceived the entire electorate of Vijaypur by disrespecting their mandate," he continued, urging people to avenge the betrayal in the upcoming bypolls. In his address, former Union Minister Arun Yadav said that the people of Vijaypur must extract revenge from Rawat for his betrayal in the by-elections. MLA Phool Singh Baraiya told voters that they need not fear as the Congress will respond decisively to any attempts to intimidate the people of Vijaypur.Former minister and area in-charge Jaivardhan Singh said that the enthusiasm of the people in the constituency is a harbinger of a Congress victory in the by-elections. Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Singh, along with MLAs Siddharth Kushwaha, Kailash Kushwaha, Devendra Sakwar, Babu Jandel, Suresh Raje, Yadveendra Singh, Lakhan Singh Yadav, and Neetu Sikarwar, also addressed the gathering, which was attended by almost all party leaders in the region.

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