Mangawaon

Mangawan constituency has become important ever since the veteran Congress leader Sriniwas Tiwari stared contesting from here. Tiwari, a lawyer and an expert in legislative affairs has created a record of being the only leader to be the Speaker of the Madhya Pradesh assembly for two full terms.

The assembly elections will be a test for Tiwari as he just scrapped past the Communist Party of India candidate during the last polls. Tiwari, who has been representing the assembly seat for the past three terms is looking for and fourth win in succession. It will be a personal milestone for him. He has won the assembly seat five times the first being in 1970.

The constituency has a very strong presence of upper caste Brahmins, a majority of whom have stood behind Sriniwas Tiwari. Muslims and backward class votes also form a substantial population in the region. Due to this fact the Bahujan Samaj Party and even the Communist arty has a substantial following in the region.

According to the 2001 census estimates the constituency comprises of about 18 per cent Brahmins and about three per cent Muslims. Scheduled Tribes with 15 per cent and Scheduled Castes with 14 per cent also form a major vote bank in the constituency. The other backward class include Kurmis, Telis, Ahirs and Rajputs who constitute about 6 per cent of the population.

The electoral history shows that despite close contests the Congress has managed to win the seats in almost all polls held since 1970. Only in 1970 assembly polls was a Congress candidate defeated from here- that too when Tiwari contested as a Socialist Party candidate and won defeating the Congress candidate.

Another interesting feature of the polls here is that Kaushal Prasad Mishra contested four times and lost. Mishra contested as a Janata Party candidate twice in 1977 and 1980 and later as a BJP candidate in 1985 and 1990.

Mangawan constituency has become important ever since the veteran Congress leader Sriniwas Tiwari stared contesting from here.

Detailed result: 1988