By L.S. Herdenia
BHOPAL: Though there are bright chances of electoral understanding between Congress and BSP for the Assembly election, there is going to be much haggling over seat allocation. Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath has announced that the Congress will set up candidates in 200 Vidhan Sabha constituencies, leaving only 30 seats to other parties. The MP Assembly consists of 230 members.
BSP leader Mayawati has been saying that she was ready to join hands with Congress in order to defeat BJP. But she insists that whatever understanding is reached should be honourable. Moreover she is of the view that the understanding should cover all the three states – Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan – where elections are scheduled in the month of November this year.
Besides BSP, electoral understanding is not ruled out with the Samajwadi Party as well. SP president and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav visited Bhopal last week and spent two days in order to explore the possibility of electoral alliance. He met several Congress leaders, including Kamal Nath. Arun Yadav who was replaced by Kamal Nath as the MP Congress chief held a reception in Akhilesh’s honour. Arun Yadav is regarded as a dissident leader and it is expected that he might use his caste based proximity to Akhilesh to get a decent share in seat allocation.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is continuing his “Ashirvad Yatra” (tour to seek people’s blessings). He is travelling in a rath (Chariot) built at the cost of over Rs. 2 crores. He is being accompanied by top party leaders, besides his wife Sadhana Singh.
According to the party spokesman, Chouhan is getting huge response during his yatra. Besides mentioning his achievements as chief minister, he is launching a blistering attack on Congress. Chouhan said he was answerable to the people of state instead of the Congress, which has levelled baseless allegations against the BJP government on issues related to development.
“Congress has a tendency to oppose everything. Now, when I am distributing benefits to farmers, Congress leaders were trying to crate disturbance. The Congress should first clarify why the party failed to turn the state into a developed state in its 50 years of rule,” said Chouhan taking a jibe at the Congress workers, who tried to stage demonstration ahead of his visit to Vidisha on 23rd July.
Chouhan in particular targeted Digvijay Singh and holds him responsible for all round decline in development. In one such speech the chief minister called Digvijay a traitor and anti-national. His remark caused a sharp reaction from the Congress party. Reacting to Chouhan’s comments, Digvijay Singh retorted that “if I am anti national let the chief minister dare arrest me”. Digvijay Singh shot off a letter to the chief minister saying that he would surrender before the TT Nagar police on July 26. “And if you have no proof of me being a traitor, then apologise publicly unconditionally and without delay,” the letter said.
While Chouhan is continuing his Ashirvad Yarta, Congress has also launched its “Pol Khol Yatra”, challenging Chouhan’s claim about the state’s development. Kamal Nath has posed ten questions to the chief minister to reply. He urged members of the public to question the chief minister when the Jan Ashirwad Yatra reaches their localities.
Kamal Nath asked Chouhan to “mention 10 hospitals in MP where best medical treatment is available for patients, where doctors are available at all times, necessary medicines are given to the poor at the right time”.
He also asked the chief minister to “show 10 government schools where children of poor get good education, where there are adequate teachers, clean drinking water, electricity, playground and where 100% students pass examinations”. Another question was about 10 areas in the state where women and girls feel safe and secure and roam the streets without fear.
Other questions covered 10 mandis where farmers were getting fair price for their produce, 10 places where youth found employment opportunities, 667 lakh saplings supposed to have been planted on the banks of Narmada, 10 places without illegal mining; 10 government departments where work is done on time and without bribes, 10 roads that are better than those of USA and ten villages with uninterrupted power supply. (IPA Service)
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