Ahead of MP bypolls, BJP and Congress spar at public meetings

Ahead of bypolls in Madhya Pradesh, the ruling party BJP and the opposition Congress accused each other on Sunday at public meetings held in two different regions of the state of, what they said, betraying people after making promises for their welfare. The bypolls are due for 27 assembly constituencies dates of which are yet to be announced by the Election Commission.

While laying the foundation stones for several projects in Bhander assembly constituency in Datia district and Gohad assembly constituency in Bhind district, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “Congress sought votes of people by projecting the face of Jyotiraditya Scindia in the run-up to 2018 assembly elections but when it formed its government Kamal Nath was appointed the chief minister. He hardly moved out of the secretariat to meet people and redress their grievances. Also, he dumped several welfare schemes launched during the BJP regime earlier for farmers, students, youths, women and other sections of society.”

Chouhan asked people, “Was this act of Congress not like stabbing people in the back?”

Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia, home minister Narottam Mishra, cooperative minister Arvind Bhadoria and women and child development minister Imrati Devi also addressed the gatherings.

Scindia said, “It was for the first time when Gwalior-Chambal region gave tremendous support to the Congress in 2018 assembly elections by giving 26 seats out of total 34 in the region to the party. People thought the Congress government would draw a bigger line of development than that in the BJP government in the previous years. But the Congress chief minister didn’t come out of Vallabh Bhavan (state secretariat). Instead of setting the record of development, the Congress government set a record in corruption. Sand mafia, liquor mafia and transfer industry had their say in the government.”

Scindia asked, “Digvijaya Singh projected himself as well-wisher of Dalits. I want to ask him if he is really a well-wisher of Dalits then why didn’t the Congress send Phoolsingh Baraiya to Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh?”

Scindia said, “The ensuing bypolls are not for certain constituencies but concerns the entire state. The entire country is looking forward to this election. We have to ensure victory of the BJP on all the 27 seats and give a befitting reply to corrupt Congress.”

While BJP leaders attacked the Congress in Gwalior-Chambal region, state Congress president Kamal Nath took a dig at the BJP in Malwa region.

Addressing a public meeting in Sanver assembly constituency in Indore in support of the party candidate Premchand Guddu, the former chief minister said, “The BJP in its 15 years of rule from 2003 to 2018 only produced labourers in Madhya Pradesh while in its present regime it is only making false promises to people.”

Nath asked people, “Have you ever seen labourers from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kerala? However, if you have seen labourers on TV screens, they must be labourers from Madhya Pradesh (returning home during the Covid-19 crisis). This is what the BJP government gave to Madhya Pradesh in all these years. People can see how the BJP has brought the state to such a sorry pass.”