New Delhi: One party’s leaders performed morning prayers in tribal temples, had meals in tribal houses, repeatedly reminded people about their connection with ‘Mama’ (maternal uncle) and called the opposition leader “Mr India”. The other party’s leaders railed against the “witch” of inflation, the endless government announcements and the lack of compensation for Covid victims.
This is how the election campaign unfolded for four bypolls — three assembly constituencies of Jobat, Raigaon and Prithvipur and the Lok Sabha seat of Khandwa — in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The polls are scheduled to be held Saturday.
The ruling BJP’s campaign was led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who went on an offensive. As BJP held two of these four seats, including the Lok Sabha constituency, a loss would put question marks over his popularity, particularly after he came back to power by bringing down the Kamal Nath government in March last year.
The results, however, will not have any impact on the stability of the BJP government in the state — it has 126 seats in the 230-member assembly. The Congress has 86 MLAs in the state.
The Congress campaign was led by ex-CM Kamal Nath, who sought to highlight alleged gaps in Chouhan’s governance.
Also read: Rahul Gandhi doesn’t realise it, BJP will remain powerful for ‘many decades’: Prashant Kishor
What the barb trade looked like
Until the end of campaign Wednesday, Chouhan addressed nearly 40 rallies. Nath participated in 14. But neither let go of any opportunity to throw barbs at each other.
During his rallies Nath called the sitting CM “Ghoshnaveer” (master of announcements), adding that Chouhan roamed around the state with coconuts in hand.
On Wednesday, Chouhan responded during an election meeting in Raigaon.
“Kamal Nath says that I tour the state with coconut in hand. If I don’t crack coconuts, then how will all the work be done? He says that I am a CM who makes announcements. I am a Ghoshnaveer only. Kamal Nath ji, only those who work hard can make such announcements. One who proudly makes such announcement is a true valiant,” Chouhan said.
“Kamal Nath neither did any work nor did the public leave any scope for him to make announcements. His own luck was doomed. He can keep abusing your ‘Mama’ as much as he wants, I will keep on cracking coconuts,” added the CM.
This was a reference to the name by which he is known across the state. Chouhan routinely reminded the public about this during the campaign.
He pointed out that he had launched a scheme for poor students, but Nath scrapped it when he came to power in 2018. “Now that your ‘Mama’ is back, there is no need to worry. Even if Rs 8 lakh is required to enroll in any of the private medical colleges, you should not worry, your Mama will pay the fee,” he announced.
He also exhorted the crowd to chant his name, asking them: “Who will provide the lease for the land?”; “Who will take the elders to various places of pilgrimage?”; “Who will get your daughters married?”
The response each time was ‘Mama’.
Sensing the public’s displeasure over the issue of land lease in tribal areas, Chouhan made it a point to schedule night halts in Jobat, Raigaon, Khandwa (LS), Barhanpur (under LS constituency) and Prithvipur and had meals with the local residents in their homes. He also performed prayers at tribal temples in the mornings.
He also made calls about nationalism, talking about the changes in Jammu and Kashmir under Home Minister Amit Shah. He also told the crowds at rallies that voting for out-of-power Congress is a “waste” of vote.
Leaders like Uma Bharti were not to be left behind. She called Kamal Nath the invisible “Mr India” during a rally in Prithvipur.
Also read: BJP vs BJP, lawyer vs lawyer at cricket’s battleground Kotla ends today with DDCA poll results
‘Inflation now an apsara’
The Congress, which hopes to win the three assembly segments over issues like rising inflation, hike in petrol and diesel prices and mismanagement of Covid, responded in kind.
“Even lies have their own limitations. There is no availability of fertilizer in the state. Even those people who lost their lives during Covid pandemic are not given any kind of compensation,” Nath said during a rally.
“In 2004 and 2009, our government was formed in Delhi. During that period the BJP cadres kept beating drums while singing ‘mehngai dayan khaye jaat hai’ (The witch called inflation is ruining us),” party leader and former Union minister Arun Yadav said during a campaign rally.
“At that time, the price of petrol was Rs 70 and diesel was sold at Rs 65 (a litre). Now these items are being sold at the rate of Rs 119 and Rs 116, respectively. Under this government the witch called inflation has been transformed into an apsara (celestial nymph) like Hema Malini (actress and BJP MP),” Yadav added.
What the contests are like
The BJP has fielded outsiders as candidates from both Prithvipur (Shishupal Yadav, previously with Samajwadi Party) and Jobat (Sulochana Rawat, previously with the Congress).
The Khandwa seat was vacated after the demise of former MP and BJP leader Nand Kumar Chauhan. The party has fielded his son Raneshwar Patil. Barring 2009-14, the BJP retained the Khandwa seat for the last 25 years. Congress has nominated Rajnarayan Singh Purani, a two-time MLA and a leader of its old guard, as its candidate from this seat.
BJP general secretary Bhagwan Das Sabnani said Prithvipur is a “tight contest”, but the chances of victory in Jobat are “quite high”.
“Not only has the CM personally camped there, but he also assured the tribals that the government will purchase land for lease if needed. Sulochana Rawat’s father-in-law was a seven-term MLA from this seat and Rawat herself has been a three-time MLA. This was one of our weaker seats,” he said.
“If Shivraj manages to win three out of these four seats, then he can provide a strong answer to his critics who are hoping for a change of leadership on the lines of Karnataka, Gujarat, Uttarakhand. However, if he wins less than two, then his situation might become precarious,” a senior BJP leader in MP said on condition of anonymity.
(Edited by Amit Upadhyaya)
Also read: Ex-CAG Vinod Rai apologises to Sanjay Nirupam for 2G allegation, Congress leader says ‘golden day’