Bhopal: It’s the social gathering that decides who will get what function, repeated Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Wednesday, including that the BJP has many leaders “of my stature” and “more capable than me” within the state itself.
However will he be the chief minister if the BJP retains energy in Madhya Pradesh? “It is a decision that the party has to take,” Chouhan mentioned.
“We are simple workers of the party. I do not have anything special,” he added.
Winding up a gruelling ballot marketing campaign, the CM seemed relaxed and assured as he sat for an unique interview with ThePrint at his residence. Madhya Pradesh votes on Friday.
Rejecting ideas that whereas his social gathering’s emphasis was on collective management, he was able to pulling off a win on his personal, he mentioned: “It is a language of arrogance that I never speak. No one is ever capable (of working alone). If I say this, I will be the person who is full of arrogance, who only thinks of himself.”
Because the marketing campaign got here to a detailed in MP, the CM held over 160 sabhas within the poll-bound state. Requested what he felt on the bottom, a assured Chouhan mentioned, “The BJP will get a spectacular success and we are getting the love and affection of the people of Madhya Pradesh.”
Dismissing the anti-incumbency wave in opposition to him — he was within the saddle 2005-18, and after a short stint of Congress’s Kamal Nath, once more since 2020 — when many are hinting that he won’t return, the CM, popularly referred to as mama, mentioned, “It does not matter what they say, the people will bring us back.”
Requested if he thinks the Congress is taking part in the Hindutva card, with Kamal Nath calling himself a Hanuman devotee, Chouhan mentioned, “Just as playing cards decide someone’s fate in gambling, during elections, the sacred function of democracy, issues such as Hindutva are played up, like in Shakuni’s Chausar. They are committing the sin of betting the mandate of the people of MP by treating this as a trump card.”
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Govt schemes
Get together leaders say that the Ladli Behna Yojana began by Chouhan with over 1.31 crore beneficiaries has been a recreation changer for the BJP that was confronted with huge anti-incumbency.
Chouhan, nonetheless, refused to hyperlink the scheme with the elections. “We brought the Ladli Laxmi Yojna in 2006, Kanya Vivah (financial assistance for marriage of women), we gave 50 percent reservation to women in local body elections, we were the first to give women 30 percent reservation in services…there were several such works and Ladli Behna Yojana is one such step in that direction.”
However will the scheme make an electoral impression? “Definitely, Ladli Behna Yojana has helped sisters belonging to economically disadvantaged and marginalised families and changed their lives. It has boosted their self-confidence and self-respect. These sisters are with us. These are neither political relations nor are they from today…this is another kind of relation as they are my family,” he mentioned.
On tribals & Congress
Tribals represent round 21 % of the state’s inhabitants, in keeping with state authorities information. Of the 47 seats reserved for tribals in MP, the BJP received 16 in 2018, a drastic drop from the 31 it had received in 2013.
In a bid to enhance its tally on these seats, the BJP kickstarted an enormous tribal outreach programme in September 2021 with Union Minister Amit Shah laying the inspiration of a museum for tribal icons in Jabalpur. This was adopted by a number of schemes being rolled out for tribals — from implementation of PESA (Panchayat, Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996) to offering free supply of ration at their doorsteps. PESA offers particular powers to gram sabhas in scheduled areas.
On how his authorities has labored for tribals, Chouhan mentioned PESA has been enforced. “This time, right from collecting tendu leaves to giving rights on jal, jungle and zameen, there are several works that have been done and we have all come together. Tribals will stand along with others.”
Requested what he thought of giving reservation to OBCs, as was being assured by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Chouhan remarked, “I do not want to comment on what they have to say. The BJP believes in social harmony. We have worked a lot for the OBC community…people from all sections of the society are our brothers and sisters. We work for all...”
Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, he mentioned, “When people like Rahul Gandhi talk in favour of OBCs, it reminds me of the saying ‘Kauwa chala hans ki chaal’. Why hasn’t Rahul baba, who doesn’t refrain from abusing our OBC PM everyday, made a single OBC CM in Madhya Pradesh till date?”
“However, I do not want to talk about anyone’s personal life and if there is talk of a caste census, first Rahul baba and Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath ji should tell the public about their caste,” he mentioned, including that caste census is a matter that must be mentioned intimately.
For 2024 (Lok Sabha elections), Chouhan mentioned the individuals of the nation have already made up their minds to present the most important victory to the BJP underneath the management of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The entire country trusts the leadership of Narendra Modi ji with all its heart,” he mentioned.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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