'Hindutva' plank takes centre stage in BJP stronghold; Cong hopes to gain ground

Madhya Pradesh has been the bastion of the Bharatiya Janata Party since 2003, except for a 15-month interregnum between December 2018 and March 2020 when Congress leader Kamal Nath was the chief minister. The party is making all-out attempt to retain the state, which goes to polls next month, with chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan -- who has been in charge since 2005, except for the 15-months mentioned above -- announcing a slew of social welfare schemes including monthly allowance of ₹1,500 to every woman of the state, a cooking gas cylinder for ₹450 every month and interest free loans to farmers who repay loans on time. The pre-poll measures announced this fiscal alone, are worth ₹80,000 crore, according to a state finance department estimate.

- Shruti Tomar

 

The Election Commission of India announced dates for single phase election in Madhya Pradesh on November 17.

The BJP has thus far announced candidates for 136 of the state’s 230 assembly constituencies across four lists, fielding three union ministers, agriculture minister and four-time MP Narendra Singh Tomar from Dimani, Jal Shakti minister and eight-time MP Prahlad Patel from Narsinghpur and steel minister Faggan Singh Kulaste from Niwas and four other members of Parliament. “It appears the BJP is putting its best foot forward for MP elections,” said political expert Girija Shankar. He added putting up central ministers in state elections has also opened the list of probable contenders for the CM’s post. “This has weakened the position of the CM who has been face of the party since 2007.” Chouhan will contest from Budni, the fourth list announced, and the party gave tickets to most of ministers in his Cabinet.

Chouhan has, taking a leaf out of the BJP’s national strategy, sought to build a base on the back of Hindutva and welfarism. The state government has developed Mahakal Lok in Ujjain and Lord Ram tourist route in Bundelkhand, apart from building 108 feet tall statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Omkareshwar town at the cost of ₹2,200 crore.