Chhindwara, March 15 -- A Congress citadel since India's first general election, Chhindwara constituency has been represented by Mr Kamal Nath no less than nine times - a rare feat indeed in the nation's parliamentary history - and, though he is not in the fray this year owing to having assumed the mantle of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, even dreaming of an attempt to wrest Chhindwara may bring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out in a cold sweat as the battle is akin to all the labours of Hercules added together.
Mr Nath's maiden victory here was attained in 1980. In the 2014 poll, he triumphed by a margin exceeding a lakh votes - the Modi wave notwithstanding - and served as Speaker Pro Tem by virtue of being the senior-most member in...