Congress’ Failure to Find Room For BSP in MP and Rajasthan

Reveals Split in Opposition Unity

Technically, for the Congress, the support of BSP, SP or Left may not be necessary in electoral dynamics of these three states but failure to get into some sort of understanding with these non-BJP parties creates a negative perception about mahagathbandhan.

A few days after the BSP chief had inked a deal with Ajit Jogi’s Janta Congress in Chhattisgarh, People talked about BSP-Congress alliance won’t materialise in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan as well.

BSP president Mayawati has now come on record declaring no tie up with the Congress in the above mentioned states and her party’s resolve to contest on its own.
The BSP had already declared list of 22 candidates for the 230-member MP Assembly. Following Wednesday’s press conference, Mayawati’s close aide and in-charge for Madhya Pradesh had provided her with the list of remaining 208 candidates. The list is likely to be made public in the next few days.

While Mayawati may have chosen to turn the political tables by accusing leaders like Digvijaya Singh being responsible for failure of alliance talks. Reliable sources with the BSP say clarity of “not having an alliance” was well understood by Behenji by mid of September itself.

This clarity has emerged out of what the BSP’s top leadership call “high handedness and arrogance” of the Congress party. Though senior Congress leaders like Kamal Nath kept the hopes of alliance alive, the fact is that the Congress was never ready to accept strict demands of Mayawati as far as seat sharing was concerned.

The Congress found BSP’s demand for seats “too ambitious and unjustified”. While the BSP was demanding not less than 45 seats in MP alone, the Congress insisted on no more than 28 seats to the former.

A senior leader of the BSP put it this way. He said, “Even after the BSP declared an alliance with Janta Congress of Ajit Jogi in Chhattisgarh there was no convincing approach from the Congress regarding Madhya Pradesh.”

It clearly means that more than Digvijaya, it was the Congress party not wanting the alliances in the states where it sees a direct one-on-one fight with the BJP.

However, the failure on the part of Opposition to unite comes as a shot in the arm for the BJP.

It is also a telling comment on the much-hyped mahagathbandhan plans. The non-BJP forces will be going to polls in at least three to four different fronts in these elections.

In Madhya Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party is going with the Gondwana Gantantra Party. The Left parties are in the arena with a front of their own.

In Rajasthan, there are three non-BJP fronts, while the Congress and the BSP will be contesting against each other on all the Assembly seats, the Samajwadi Party has got into understanding with Left Front, and other smaller parties. The AAP is also expected to join this front.

In Chhattisgarh, the BJP already feels comfortable with Ajit Jogi’s party getting support from the BSP. The Left parties and the SP are also going alone in these states.

Despite the odds, Badal Saroj, Former CPM state secretary of Madhya Pradesh, said, “We are still hopeful of defeating the BJP. Opposition unity may not have taken place in ideal form. The rising anger of farmers and common people is strong enough to throw the BJP out of power.”

Samajwadi Party’s spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan is more vocal in his opinion. He said, “For alliance to happen, bigger parties like the Congress should also have a larger heart.”

Sunil further admitted that “it is a disappointment that larger opposition unity could not take place, primarily because of high handedness of the major non-BJP party”.

Technically, for the Congress, the support of BSP, SP or Left may not be necessary in electoral dynamics of these three states but failure to get into some sort of understanding with these non-BJP parties creates a negative perception about much discussed mahagathbandhan and raises serious questions about capabilities of the top leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, of being able to craft it before 2019 polls.

70 Anti-Quota Outfits Form Party in Poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, to Contest All 230 Seats

The newly formed party has claimed support of 70 social organizations, including Karni Sena, Akhil Bharatiya Brahmin Mahasabha and others.

Led by Samanya Pichhara Alpsankhyak Kalyan Samaj, anti-quota outfits here on Tuesday formally launched a political outfit – Sapaks Samaj Party — months ahead of the state elections in Madhya Pradesh.

Sapaks patron Hiralal Trivedi has been declared party president while the state executive announced on Tuesday comprised four vice-presidents and other office bearers, including youth wing functionaries. The party also launched its flag on Tuesday.
The party has claimed support of 70 social organizations, including Karni Sena, Akhil Bharatiya Brahmin Mahasabha and others.
“We would soon set up our organisational structure at the district level and shortlist candidates for assembly polls,” party president Hiralal Trivedi said.

On being asked whether there would be any criteria for distribution of tickets, Trivedi said they would accept names suggested by their voters.

The party wishes to field candidates at all the 230 assembly constituencies for the upcoming assembly elections.

The organization is yet to come up with a party symbol and is awaiting an approval from the Election Commission.

Trivedi added that opposition to SC/ST Act and reservation in promotion would be among the key agendas of the new party.

Besides claiming the support of the upper caste, the party is said to have a backing of sections of OBCs, SCs and STs, which has caused some worry for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition Congress.

After successfully organizing the September 6 Bharat Bandh and another mega protest in Bhopal on September 30, the party looks confident of garnering support among minority communities.

Sapaks was formed with the agenda to fight the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government’s move of extending reservation in promotions. The newly formed party would also be driven by similar ideals and retired bureaucrats and ex-police officers.

MP polls may be tough battle for Shivraj Singh Chouhan, but scars of Congress misrule still fresh in people’s minds

I first heard of “Bangali Doctors” in a film on primary healthcare in South Rajasthan. It was a documentary was based on the work of a well-known Udaipur-based NGO, Seva Mandir, and produced by Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, a renowned economist of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Little did I expect to encounter this term again several years later in a tribal village of Madhya Pradesh.

These “Bangali Doctors” are like German silver — neither Bengali nor doctors. They are quacks. I recall from Banerjee’s film that the original “Bangali Doctors” were half-trained paramedics. They came to came to Rajasthan from Eastern Bihar, then part of larger Bengal. Successive generations adopted the title and also brought along people from their villages over the years.

These quacks form a vital link in the healthcare chain. They are the next port of call after the village “ojha” (voodoo practitioner). Only after them comes the state primary health centre.

We were at the tiny tribal hamlet of Pandutalab in Dewas district, 70 kilometers from Indore. The Mahila Jagat Lihaaz Samiti ran a Communitarian Natural Resource Conservation in the village. It was a field centre of an NGO formed by social activist Rahul Banerjee and his wife Subhadra Khaperde.

Rahul, better known as Rahul Indori, is a civil engineer from IIT-Khargapur. He also holds a PhD in environmental planning and management. Subhadra comes from a Dalit marginal farmers’ family in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district. She is also a grassroots social worker and activist. The couple has worked among the tribals of Madhya Pradesh on a range of subjects and thus know the lay of the land as well as the back of their hands.

Lunch was free-range desi chicken curry and a unique tribal-style okra cooked in butter milk. While devouring the food, I asked Rahul about the central government’s Ayushman Bharat scheme. I wanted to know whether he thought it would be a game-changer. He was sceptical. He thought it was likely to miss the proverbial wood for the trees.

The foundation of a successful public health programme is its primary health outreach. Most illnesses start as primary health problems. They need immediate attention, otherwise they escalate into emergencies or chronic health problems. The government-fun primary health infrastructure in rural areas is inadequate and dysfunctional. Therein lies the menace of quacks and “Bangali Doctors”.

After three terms of Shivaraj Singh Chauhan as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, this was appalling. Will this lack of development work against him? The community members working in the farm are not so sure. First, a few of them understand the difference between good and poor healthcare. Caught in a time warp and lacking exposure, they accept it as their lot. What matters to them is money, and “mamaji” has showered them in cash in the recent months. Among them, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna was a big hit. It is another matter that the village headman took Rs 20,000 in cash for every application cleared. Still, a roof over their head makes a world of difference.

But is this enough to secure their votes? Much depends on the selection of candidates and ground mobilisation. The Congress does have presence in the region. But like most places, it is faction ridden. While the BJP seems ahead right now, a “wave” could change this fact.

Back in Indore, given a choice between poha and sabudana khichdi, I am partial towards the latter. The best was to please an Indori, I discovered, is by saying that their sabudana is better than what they make in Pune. That puts their guard down for all tricky questions.

There are a few BJP karyakartas among my old business contacts, whom I meet on most trips to get a pulse of place. Six months ago, any question about the BJP’s chances would invite a derisive laugh. “Are you serious?” they would ask in a Vadra-esque style. Now, they are more restrained.

At first, they deflect the question towards the Lok Sabha polls, saying, “No one can stop Modi-ji.” But when pinned down to the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, they say, “Malwa mein toh koi problem nahin hain (there’s no problem in Malwa).” The earlier bravado is missing. “East mein fight rahega; Malwa nikal ayega (there will be a fight in the east, but Malwa will breeeze through).”

The stress on the east and central regions are real. If they are correct, BJP president Amit Shah’s rallies in the east are on hold. The party is waiting for the “mahaul” to change. Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath is giving his all to these elections and will make a difference in Chindhwara and its adjoining regions.

To counter the Congress strategy, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has stepped up its booth-level work. They have now assigned two workers at every booth to cater to 50 voters as against one booth worker earlier. While technology and digital outreach will be a force multiplier for the RSS, the Congress is not sparing any money or efforts either.

The BJP’s confidence seems to stem from two counts. First, the huge sums Chouhan has doled out under the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana on minimum support price (MSP). Farmers have had a good soya bean yield and reaped a double bonanza with the MSP scheme. Other minor sops, such as capping electricity bills for farmers at Rs 200, have been good draws, as well.

But not everyone is happy with “mamaji’s” generosity. The trading community that had to bear the brunt of the Goods and Services Tax believe it is their money that is funding these doles — a case of robbing “Pappu” to pay “Pidi” that they don’t like.

It is here that Congress leader Digvijaya Singh comes to the rescue of BJP loyalists. They are confident that as long as Singh is around, Congress unity is going to remain a mirage.

The highway from Indore to Ratlam is not in the best condition at the moment. Although not better than the US beltways — as Chouhan had claimed — it is still one of the best roads in the country. Having sized me up by now, the driver was quick to recall the condition of the roads during Singh’s tenure. Only for that, people should not vote for the Congress, he remonstrated. He must have suffered in those times, and the memory was still raw, I thought.

An eternal point of difference between the folks of Indore and Ratlam is the quality of the sev. Residents of Ratlam claim that their products are superior beause of the quality of the local water. I am not a sev connoisseur to be able to pass judgement, but on this trip, I found that there was divergence in their political views, as well.

On the day of my trip, a central minister was visiting the nearby towns of Alote and Taal for rallies. At both places, the towns traders called for shutters to be downed as a mark of protest, unhappy with amendment to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The anger is swelling. If allowed to gather momentum, it will make a heavy dent in the BJP’s upper-caste vote bank.

Contrary to popular perception, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party contesting the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls solo may benefit the Congress. It will split any gains the BJP was hoping to make with SC/ST votes. So it is a potential double whammy for the BJP that has left its most die-hard supporters flummoxed.

A couple of my old associates from Mandsaur were down. I asked them whether there was any residual strains of the riots last year. They smiled and said everyone knew the real story. Last year, there was a bumper crop of opium. According to my associates, the opium mafia had engineered the riots, which provided them cover to smuggle out the excess (undeclared) yield. The state erred in its assessment, and the situation went out of hand. “Ab sab shant hain(everything is peaceful now). With a bountiful of soya crop and MSP, there is real “bhavantar” now, they said, punning on the word to imply a change of mood.

On the way back to Indore, I stopped for a tea break at the small town of Badnawar. The shop owner we called upon was very clear about his choice — the memories of Congress misrule were still raw in his mind. He said with a lot of emotion, “Mukhiya se naraaz hain, iska matlab toh yeh nahin ki chor ke haath ghar ka chabi saup dega (We’re angry with the chief minister, but that doesn’t mean we’ll hand over the keys to our house to a thief).”

Finally, it is this sentiment that can see Modi and Chouhan through once again, but it is far from a done deal for the BJP.

Polls Effect : Madhya Pradesh to have cow ministry: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

If Madhya Pradesh implements the decision, it will become the second Indian state after Rajasthan to get a cow ministry.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday announced that his government will set up a cow welfare ministry to ensure that cattle in the state are treated well. “I have reason to believe that the Cow Protection Board in the state should be turned into a full-fledged ministry,” Mr Chouhan said at an event attended by Digambar Jain monk Vidhyasagarji Maharaj in Khajuraho.

The announcement comes in the run-up to the state assembly elections, where the ruling BJP is expected to face a resurgent Congress amid likely anti-incumbency. The model code of conduct is expected to kick in soon.

“The cow ministry will replace the existing Madhya Pradesh Gaupalan Evam Pashudhan Samvardhan Board because it has limitations,” Mr Chouhan said, adding that an independent ministry can help serve cows in a much better way.

Referring to the country’s first cow sanctuary in Agar Malwa district, the Chief Minister said a single facility was not enough to shelter a large number of cattle and more sanctuaries of the kind would be set up soon.

If Madhya Pradesh implements the decision, it will become the second Indian state after Rajasthan to get a cow ministry. Cow Protection Board chairman Akhileshwaranand Giri had earlier recommended the setting up of such a ministry, stating that the move would inspire future generations to take care of cows in the same way the Chief Minister “had tended to bovines at his home”.

He also said that establishing a cow ministry would help create a “golden Madhya Pradesh” and set a precedent for other states, much on the lines of its “happiness department”.

Incidentally, opposition Congress chief Kamal Nath has also promised to construct cow shelters in every panchayat if voted to power. “Look at the condition of the cows here. They always keep talking about cattle but do nothing for them. If we are voted to power, we will construct gaushalas in every panchayat,” he said last month.

There has been increased focus on the welfare of cows across the country ever since the Narendra Modi-led BJP stormed to power in 2014. Cow shelters have been set up on a war footing, and a majority of Indian states have various regulations prohibiting either the slaughter or sale of cattle. Earlier this year, Animal Welfare Board of India chairman SP Gupta had even said that while his department cares for all animals, “there is no doubt that the cow is at the centre”.

However, the heightened focus on cattle welfare has also resulted in increased mob killings across the country. According to a Reuters report, 28 people were killed and 124 injured in cow-related violence between 2010 and 2017.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court said India should not be allowed to descend into “mobocracy”, and asked states to ensure that nobody resorts to vigilantism.

MP Assembly Elections: Samajwadi Party to Contest 24 Seats

Samajwadi Party’s national secretary Rajendra Chaudhary said that it is ready to go into the assembly election in Madhya Pradesh with full strength. It will contest around two dozen assembly constituencies in the state.

The Samajwadi Party is planning to contest 24 seats in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, according to its leaders.

In a statement issued in Lucknow, a party spokesperson said, “SP national president Akhilesh Yadav will be in Madhya Pradesh on a two-day visit. On September 29, he will address a public meeting at Shahdol. On the 30th, he will address a public meeting in Balaghat.”
SP’s national secretary Rajendra Chaudhary said, “Akhilesh Yadav has already held a number of programmes in the recent past in Bhopal, Satna, Rewa, Khajuraho, Panna, Sidhi, Shahdil. Hence, the Samajwadi Party is ready to go into the assembly election in Madhya Pradesh with full strength. It will contest around two dozen assembly constituencies in the state.”

The party organisation has expanded in Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, Chaudhary claimed.

Chaudhary said, “In the past 15 years of the BJP rule in MP, youngsters have been pushed to the brink of unemployment. The condition of farmers is bad, and they are deprived of irrigation facilities and minimum support price for their crops.”

Election Commission must retain credibility of Seshan’s days: Apex Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday said the credibility the Election Commission gained when it was headed by T.N. Seshan should be seen in the conduct of the upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.

“We want it (credibility) to remain here also (in providing the voters list),” a bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan said while deciding to hold a hearing on the plea seeking voters list to weed out bogus voters.

Madhya Pradesh-based Jaya Thakur has moved the top court seeking directions to the Election Commission.

Pointing to the acts of omission and inaction on the part of the Centre, the Election Commission and the State Election Commission in Madhya Pradesh, the petitioner contended that it would impede a free, fair and unbiased election set for later this year.

The court on Thursday asked the Election Commission to dwell on what it meant by the text mode voters list backed with documents and authorities.

Directing the listing of the matter on October 4, the court said that the credibility the Election Commission acquired during Seshan’s time should continue.

Poll-bound M P has 5.03 cr voters in final list.

The Election Commission (EC) in Bhopal published the final voters’ list of Madhya Pradesh, where assembly elections are due later this year.

Number of voters in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh has gone up by almost eight per cent to 5.03 crore from 4.66 crore in 2013, state Chief Electoral Officer said Thursday.

The Election Commission (EC) in Bhopal published the final voters’ list of Madhya Pradesh, where assembly elections are due later this year.

“Madhya Pradesh has 5,03,94,086 (5.03 crore) voters in the final list published Thursday. In the 2013 assembly polls, names of 4.66 crore electors were registered. This means there is a rise of about 8 per cent voters in the state since the last assembly elections,” state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) VL Kantha Rao told reporters.

Of the total registered voters, 2,63,14,957 are males and 2,40,77,719 females.

Rao said a toal of 1410 people have registered themselves under the ‘third gender’ category.

He said a total of 1,37,83,383 voters belonged to the age group of 20-29 years, which is the biggest segment.

“Names of 5.02 crore voters were published in the list released on October 4 last year. Since then, about 96 lakh applications have been received either for amendments or addition of names. A total of 35.71 lakh applicants had sought removal of names whereas 36.13 lakh applicants wanted their names included in the rolls,” he said.

Responding to a query, the CEO said the average cost incurred towards conducting electoral process per voter is Rs 50-60.

“We have sought a budget of Rs 413 crore for the election expenditure which was Rs 152 crore in the 2013 polls,” he said.

Rao said Mahobai (104), a resident of Badnapur village under Nepanagar assembly constituency in Burhanpur district, is the eldest registered voter in Madhya Pradesh who will exercise her franchise for the 14th time.

‘Shiv Bhakt’ Rahul ‘s second MP tour from today as Part of Congress’s Soft-Hindutva Approach

As the assembly and general elections are drawing closer, the top leaders have reopened their travel diaries with a ‘voter-friendly’ itinerary. From embarking on pilgrimage to reaching out to minorities and Dalit, the political parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo their potential voters.

Among them is Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who recently seems to be pushing his party’s ‘soft-Hindutva’ stand. After pilgrimage to Mansarovar and and his visit to Amethi as ‘Shiv Bhakt’, the Congress president is set to embark on a two-day visit to Madhya Pradesh on Thursday.

Gandhi’s MP trip is a part of Congress’s Sankalp Yatra, which is in its second leg. He would first visit Chitrakoot, situated on the MP-UP border, to seek blessings at Kamtanath temple, following which he will fly to Satna and address a mega rally before arriving in Rewa to visit rural areas of the district on Friday.

The Congress president’s visit comes two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega show of strength of party workers in Bhopal.

The party leaders were busy in full-scale preparations for their president’s visit. Chitrakoot holds special place in Congress scheme of things as the party had announced to undertake Ram-Van-Gaman-Path journey — the mythological route lord Ram undertook during his exile.

The journey was supposed to be launched on September 23 but was deferred due to unknown reasons. However, with the confirmation of Congress president’s arrival in the state, MPCC president Kamal Nath has once again raked up the issue of Ram-Van-Gaman-Path (Ayodhya to Chitrakoot). “CM Shivraj has announced Rs 33 cr Ram-Van-Gaman-Path project but could only set aside Rs 1,000 for the same in three years. This exposes their faith in lord Ram,” he said.

Congress has already announced to complete the project once it comes to power.

Meanwhile this would be Gandhi’s third visit to MP starting with Mandsaur where the Amethi MP had held a public meeting on the anniversary of police firing on farmers, in the month of June.

More than being an election campaign, Gandhi’s visit is now eagerly awaited in MP’s political circles as PM Modi, during his speech at Bhopal, had launched a blistering attack on Congress. Commenting on the persistent electoral losses of the Congress, PM Modi had attacked the opposition, party saying that despite having an army of veteran leaders, the party’s existence is hard to find even under a microscope.

Besides, as a part of his election campaign ahead of MP assembly polls, Gandhi is expected to visit Jabalpur, Indore and Ujjain next. “Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit Jabalpur on October 5, Indore and Ujjain on Oct 15 and 16,” said a Congress leader in Bhopal.

Like it happened in Bhopal early this month, Gandhi would hold a puja (of river Narmada) before kicking off his roadshow in Jabalpur. On September 17, Gandhi had set out on a roadshow in Bhopal after seeking blessings of 11 Hindu priests. Posters calling Gandhi a Shiv-bhakt had also sprung up on city roads.

Meanwhile, Deepak Babaria, the AICC general secretary in charge of MPCC, on Wednesday visited Jabalpur and held discussions with the partymen regarding party chief’s proposed visit.

MP polls: Can Congress’ saffron pitch defeat Shivraj Singh Chouhan?

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is seeing an unlikely challenge from the Congress ahead of the assembly polls, likely later this year.

A brigade of state Congress leaders, led by “Shiv bhakt” Rahul Gandhi, has promised gaushalas, or cow shelters, in every gram panchayat. They have also pledged to redevelop the “Ram Van Gaman Path”, a mythical route taken by Lord Rama during his 14-year exile, as narrated in Valmiki’s Ramayana.

Early this week, a number of hoardings showing Rahul Gandhi as a worshipper of Lord Shiva, in the backdrop of Kailash-Mansarovar, were seen at various places in Bhopal. The Congress president had sought the blessings of Hindu priests in the city’s Lalghati Square before embarking on an 18-km roadshow. “Shiv bhakt Rahul Gandhi ka jhilon ki nagri Bhopal mein swagat hai (Devotee of Lord Shiva, Rahul Gandhi, is welcome to the city of lakes, Bhopal),” reads one such hoarding. Rahul Gandhi had just returned from a 12-day pilgrimage to Kailash-Mansarovar, a sacred place for the Hindus.

Welcome to the majoritarian politics playing out in Madhya Pradesh, a state ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2003. The state is likely to see assembly polls in November-December. It has a population of 7.26 crore, according to the 2011 Census, out of which 90.9% are Hindus and 6.6% are Muslims. To woo the Hindus, the Congress has started a campaign with saffron hues.