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HomeIndiaGovernance‘UP mein Baba, MP mein Mama’ — Shivraj Chouhan unveils Yogi-style model...

‘UP mein Baba, MP mein Mama’ — Shivraj Chouhan unveils Yogi-style model of governance

A soft-spoken man perceived as a moderate, MP CM has switched tracks to appear as a hardliner, which BJP leaders and analysts feel is a strategy for 2023 elections.

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New Delhi: ‘UP mein Baba, aur MP mein Mama (Baba in UP and Mama in MP)this is how Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is being described by BJP leaders and his supporters in the state these days.

Chouhan appears to be implementing in his state a version of his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath’s ‘model of governance’, which earned the latter the sobriquet of ‘Bulldozer Baba’ during the recently concluded assembly elections. 

Adityanath who is set to be sworn in as CM for a second term Friday post his party’s resounding victory in the polls is called ‘Bulldozer Baba’ due to his various references to his government deploying bulldozers to raze illegal properties of criminals and mafias in Uttar Pradesh.

Now, the ‘bulldozer’ reference has also cropped up in MP. A large hoarding put up by BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma outside his official residence says: “Beti ki suraksha mai jo banega roda, Mama ka bulldozer banega hathoda (For anyone who becomes a hindrance to the security of daughters, Mama’s bulldozer will become a hammer).” 

A soft-spoken man who was until recently perceived as a moderate, Chouhan has switched tracks to appear as a hardliner which BJP leaders and political analysts feel is a strategy keeping the 2023 state assembly elections in mind.

From threatening to “bury” land mafia to making forced religious conversions illegal, the Madhya Pradesh CM seems to have undergone a complete makeover in terms of his persona and governance style in his fourth term in office.

To show he means business, his government demolished properties of those accused in two separate crimes at Sheopur and Raisen districts over the weekend.

“Chouhan is known as a soft-spoken, conscientious politician. But in his fourth term, he has been trying to show that he can shed the image of the moderate and become a hardcore leader if need be. And this is something that has been visible too in his recent actions,” a BJP leader, who did not wish to be named, told ThePrint.

Chouhan is the first BJP politician to serve as chief minister of MP four times. He is also the only CM from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-L.K. Advani era to still be in power.

He had to resign as CM when BJP lost the 2018 state assembly elections to the Congress. However, he returned to office in March 2020 following the collapse of the Kamal Nath-led government as Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress to join BJP and brought 22 MLAs with him.

Madhya Pradesh is scheduled for assembly elections in 2023, and there were talks last year that the party needed to find an alternative CM face before that, owing to Chouhan’s long tenure in office. However, Chouhan managed a landslide victory in the 2021 bypolls, which has further strengthened his position in the party. 


Also Read: Shivraj Chouhan is now BJP CM with longest time spent in chair, beating Raman Singh’s record


Action in Sheopur, Raisen, Shahdol, Seoni

In Sheopur, the government bulldozed properties of three people — Mohsin, Riyaz and Shahbaaz — accused in the alleged gang rape of a minor, Sunday. The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the IPC and the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Act. 

“On the instructions of Madhya Pradesh chief minister, action has been taken in Sheopur, against the private residences of the accused who had gang-raped a minor girl. Their residences were razed to the ground as the administration cracked down on encroachment. Such predators will not be spared in the BJP government, there is no place for such sinners in a civilised society,” BJP state chief V.D. Sharma told ThePrint.

According to another senior BJP leader who did not wish to be named, the accused’s houses were built on government land. “Whoever will indulge in such heinous crimes will have to face such consequences,” the leader added.

In Shahdol, the government demolished the house of gang rape and murder accused Abdul Shadab. In Jawra, it demolished the house of kidnapping accused Bhuru, Zaharuddin and Umar Khan. In Seoni, the houses of Hariram Verma, Rahul Verma, Vikas Singh, Nirpat Verma, and Virendra Verma, accused of raping a college student, were razed.

Similar action was initiated in Raisen district’s Silwani, where there was a clash between two communities, in which a tribal youth, identified as Raju Aadivasi, was reported dead and several injured last Friday

Fourteen people have been arrested and around 200 were booked. Chouhan Sunday ordered demolition of the houses of those accused of starting the riot.

The BJP is already using the incidents to target Congress governments in other states. “The actions of the government reflect its intention and policy. The gates of Salasar Balaji Dham in Rajasthan, including the Ram Darbar, were shamelessly broken by the Congress government. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP government is taking strict action against the criminals and demolishing their houses,” said V.D. Sharma.

State BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai added: “All those who indulge in criminal activities, illegal activities, gundagardi, heinous crimes or crime against women their properties will be bulldozed completely. There is no space for lawlessness in MP.”

‘Law & order to be big part of party’s campaign plank’

According to another senior BJP leader, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government will become stricter in the coming days against those who indulge in heinous crimes. Many in the party ThePrint spoke to said law and order will be a major issue in the 2023 assembly elections. 

Political analysts also said law and order will become a major governance issue for BJP-ruled states and further emulation of Yogi Adityanath and his style of functioning is also likely. 

“Given that the BJP has won Uttar Pradesh convincingly, there is bound to be some emulation of UP CM’s way of functioning. As far as Shivraj Singh Chouhan is concerned, given his current position in the state BJP, he might be trying to create a further rapport with the BJP’s base,” Rahul Verma, fellow at the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research, told ThePrint.

“At the same time, in one of the cases, the victims belong to the SC/ST population. The BJP in its expansionist mode will leave no stone unturned to make further inroads among these communities. Thus, law and order will become an important part of the party’s campaign plank,” he added.

Many leaders including the chief ministers will mimic Yogi’s style of muscular politics, playing the role of protector of marginalised groups, such as women and lower castes, Verma further said. 

“As far as women voters are concerned, the BJP has reaped great dividends from this segment in the recently concluded elections. The party will continue to woo them through a combination of welfare and safety and security,” he added.

(Edited by Gitanjali Das)


Also Read: ‘Threw stone at liquor bottles to save women’s dignity’ — Uma Bharti sends signal to BJP bosses


 

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