In poll-bound MP, Congress MLA Sanjay Shukla touches Kailash Vijayvargiya’s feet at Indore event

Amid a barrage of acerbic remarks exchanged between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress ahead of the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Sunday saw a moment of rare bonhomie between two potential rivals.

Congress MLA Sanjay Shukla, who represents the Indore 1 constituency and will in all likelihood be fielded by his party from there, touched the feet of senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, whose name has already been announced for the same seat.

A video of Shukla’s act of respect for the BJP general secretary soon became a subject of like, share, repost and forward on social media.

The video shows Shukla, who was in the audience, standing up to say that Vijayvargiya was an honourable figure for him and then touching his feet.

The two leaders were attending a collective forgiveness function of the Jain community at Gommatgiri crossing in Indore.

Vijayvargiya reciprocated the gesture by hugging Shukla, demonstrating the rare gesture of bonhomie between the probable rival candidates.

During the mass forgiveness function of the Jain community, people apologise to each other for the mistakes committed knowingly or unknowingly. This event has religious significance in the Jain community.

The Congress and BJP have upped the ante against each other by resorting to non-stop wranglings ahead of the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls due by the year-end.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have repeatedly visited the state in recent months, the BJP has fielded seven MPs, including three Union ministers, and Vijayvargiya apparently to overcome anti-incumbency.