Raghogarh, Madhya Pradesh:
Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh's son Jaivardhan is maybe the youngest candidate in the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh.
The 27-year-old, who has a master's degree in public administration from the USA, is busy these days reaching out to voters in over 400 villages in Raghogarh constituency.
Critics feel that possibly his father's name was enough for the Congress to declare him as its candidate from Raghogarh, his family bastion. But Jaivardhan rules out any dynasty politics and claims to have earned the nomination.
"When I told my father I want to get into politics, he said I must first learn the ground realities. So in last two-three years I extensively toured the constituency and even was part of two padyatras. And the course I did in USA was Masters in Public Administration in Developement Pratices. It gave me a global context of how development is done. I am planning to use those case studies in India," Jaivardhan told NDTV.
The young politician was recently embroiled in controversy, when just days before the Congress declared his candidacy he was accompanied by father Digvijaya Singh and uncle Lakshman Singh while filing his nomination.
"I had taken permission from Pradesh Congress Committee. When I had filed nominations I had not got a confirmation that I will be getting the ticket. In case I had not got my ticket I would have withdrawn my nomination. I did it out of superstition. It was Dhanteras, an auspicious day," Jaivardhan clarifies.
But the BJP feels that it was pressure building tactics by Jaivardhan. They also accuse the Congress of cronyism and feel Jaivardhan has got the ticket because of his lineage.
"Jaivardhan has got ticket as he is son of Digvijaya, and he filed nomination before being declared a candidate to build pressure on his party for ticket," BJP candidate from Raghogarh Radheshay Dhakad told NDTV.
Raghogarh has been a stronghold of the Congress for decades. Like Jaivardhan, BJP candidate Radheshyam Dhakad too is contesting polls for the first time. While Mr Dhadak claims to have been in politics for years, but with a mentor like Digvijaya Singh, Jaivardhan certainly has an edge over him. And so perhaps, Raghogarh may prove to be the perfect launch pad for this 27-year-old budding politician.