The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's worst fears came true as the last of the votes cast in the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association election were read out and counted.
And this came after chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state BJP president Prabhat Jha threw their combined weight behind a political leader who has not lost a single state assembly election so far.
Even though the party officially parroted that cricketing elections are not its concern, the truth is that on Sunday Chouhan had personally called several MPCA members cajoling them to support Vijayvargiya.
The second consecutive victory of Jyotiraditya Scindia also has massive implications for the BJP's electoral plans.
It is watching nervously a growing movement among a section of the Congress in the state demanding Scindia lead the party against the BJP in the 2013 assembly elections.
While the MPCA election can not be taken as a major indicator for political regime-change, Scindia's victory has certainly given a boost to the sagging morale of the Congress's rank and file.
After the party's 'serial defeats' in byelections and the humble pie it had to eat after two MLAs were forced to seek Chouhan's "help" in getting back their memberships to the House, the MPCA victory came as a mood-elevator.
"The MPCA election was not a political affair. It was nice of Scindia not to link sports and politics. Yet his stature is further bound to grow in the Congress after this victory and certainly it would give a boost to the morale of the party workers ahead of 2013 assembly elections," said state Congress spokesperson JP Dhanopia, talking to the HT.
{{/usCountry}}"The MPCA election was not a political affair. It was nice of Scindia not to link sports and politics. Yet his stature is further bound to grow in the Congress after this victory and certainly it would give a boost to the morale of the party workers ahead of 2013 assembly elections," said state Congress spokesperson JP Dhanopia, talking to the HT.
{{/usCountry}}Personally for Vijayvargiya, this second defeat can seriously dent his image as an invincible political leader in the Indore region and also his political ambitions (that eye the very top).
"On surface, Kailash may appear unhurt and unaffected. But deep inside, he is no longer the confident politician he was five years back. MPCA defeat has pushed him towards another low," a BJP leader said, adding that Sunday's development is also likely to impact the political prospects of MLAs Ramesh Mendola and Jitu Jirati - key lieutenants of Vijayvargiya.
One can recollect that Mendola and Jirati were walking along with history-sheeter Manoj Parmar in a religious procession last month when the latter was shot at.
The official BJP reaction was as expected.
"The MPCA election was an election to a sports body. The party was not involved in it. Hence, it would hardly have any impact of the party prospects in the coming days," said state BJP spokesperson Vijesh Lunawat.
The drama, however, did not end with the MPCA election. It has just begun.