New Delhi: The BJP-Congress rivalry in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh has taken a private flip, with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former CM Kamal Nath buying and selling barbs and allegations about one another’s governments.
If Chouhan is questioning Nath on how far the latter’s authorities delivered on guarantees made to the folks, Nath is hitting again with why the next authorities didn’t fulfill the assurances that had been made by him in public curiosity. Whereas the change has left Congress members questioning why the CM has taken on the “Opposition’s position of questioner”, the Bharatiya Janata Get together has defended CM Chouhan by claiming or not it’s the occasion’s technique “to stay on the offensive”.
Nath was the Madhya Pradesh CM for just a little greater than a yr after the Congress received the 2018 state polls, however was ousted in a revolt by Jyotiraditya Scindia in 2020, following which the BJP got here to energy with Chouhan as CM.
The continued disagreement between Chouhan and Nath was initiated by the previous at an occasion in Ujjain on 28 January, when he informed the gathered media that he would ask the previous CM questions day-after-day, as a means of answering the Opposition’s allegations towards his personal authorities.
Highlighting the “failed guarantees” of the Nath-led 15-month Congress authorities, Chouhan requested: “They (Congress) had listed crops like wheat, gram, mustard and paddy and promised bonus (on buy value) of their manifesto. Did even one individual get such a bonus in 15 months?”
Nath, who heads the state’s Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), hit back on Twitter the identical day, saying, “I’ve heard that Shivraj ji is questioning me (about) which guarantees we’ve got applied and which of them we’ve got not been in a position to fulfill. Solely an individual of unstable thoughts can ask such questions.”
He added: “The Chief Minister’s job is to not ask questions, however to implement schemes in public curiosity. If our bulletins (schemes) are in public curiosity, then you must implement it.”
In one other tweet, he said: “Do save your questions for just a few months. The general public will take away you from the (CM’s) chair and offer you a whole lot of time to ask questions. I believe you’re indulging in web observe for a similar.”
Their exchanges have since continued.
BJP leaders have in the meantime, defined the war-of-words on the a part of Chouhan because the occasion technique, which “is to stay on the offensive, in order that the allegations of the opposition should not have any impact on the general public”.
“If we take a look at the native physique elections and the by-elections over time, the momentum is with us. However the Congress just isn’t as weak right here as in comparison with different states. The Congress is aggressive, so to show their lies, the CM is asking direct questions – that you simply (Congress) ought to state what number of guarantees you fulfilled,” a basic secretary of the Madhya Pradesh unit of the BJP informed ThePrint.
He added: “This fashion, we are able to struggle the allegations of the opposition and look aggressive among the many public and enhance our picture.”
A second occasion chief, who can be a minister within the Chouhan authorities, informed ThePrint that “there are two methods to run a authorities — both your work speaks otherwise you converse”.
He additional stated that “in politics, solely picture works. These days, even after working when you permit the opposition’s allegations to take over, then your picture turns into destructive”.
The Congress’ Madhya Pradesh spokesperson, Okay. Okay. Mishra, nonetheless, informed ThePrint, “it’s is Opposition’s position to query the federal government. The various guarantees which haven’t been fulfilled by the BJP authorities have to be uncovered, however moderately than fulfilling them, the CM is questioning the Opposition. That is ridiculous.”
A second Congress chief additionally informed ThePrint that the occasion’s technique was to maintain questioning authorities shortcomings, in order that the BJP couldn’t take lead in narrative-building earlier than the upcoming meeting elections.
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Chouhan’s inquiries to Nath
On 29 January, Chouhan once more hit out at Nath on Twitter with a Hindi couplet, saying, “Yesterday, I requested Kamal Nath a query and he acquired livid and stated ‘does a CM ask questions’?”
“You proceed to mislead the general public and we shouldn’t even ask questions?” he added, placing out a clip of himself speaking to the media in Bhopal.
Whereas speaking to reporters over the weekend, Chouhan posed one other query: “Kamal Nath had promised to provide a bonus of Rs 5 per litre to the milk producers by way of the milk unions. Did he give even an iota in 1.25 years?
A day later, the MP CM tweeted: “Kamal Nath is operating away from my questions. He made so many guarantees however fulfilled none. He’s telling new lies day-after-day.”
On his half, Nath Monday asked Chouhan, “Shivrajji, you have got as soon as once more introduced your bundle of lies. You had introduced in BJP’s ‘Nari Shakti Sankalp Patra’ that ‘we’ll double the variety of Janani Categorical 108 ambulances to supply sufficient transport amenities for mom and baby to well being centres’.”
“However day-after-day there are experiences of dying of pregnant ladies as a result of lack of ambulances within the state. Who’s chargeable for these deaths Shivraj ji?” Nath questioned.
Nath had tweeted on the topic a day earlier as properly, urging the MP CM to “remember the dignity of the Chief Minister’s put up”.
In the meantime, Chouhan Monday additionally questioned Nath in regards to the Krishak Kanya Vivah Sahayata Yojana, which he stated had been introduced by the Congress authorities, below which monetary help of Rs 51,000 was to be given for the wedding of daughters of small farmers.
“What occurred to that?” he requested.
On Tuesday, the MP CM took one other shot on the earlier Congress authorities.
“On the advice of the gram sabha, the crop insurance coverage scheme was promised for farmers (by the Congress)… however the cash was not given as a result of the premise of the scheme was made such that farmers don’t get the cash,” Chouhan alleged.
He added: “Below the BJP authorities, Rs 17,000 crore had been deposited within the accounts of farmers in two years, however below the Congress, they had been cheated. Kamal Nath should reply for this. Kamal Nath repeatedly says that I’m mendacity, however your bundle of lies has weight, and now you’re out to mislead,” Chouhan added.
Nath responded with one among his personal questions Tuesday: “I ask you (Chouhan) that in your imaginative and prescient paper you had promised that you’ll guarantee 100% procurement of pulses. Is your authorities shopping for 100% pulses from farmers? Depart meaningless rhetoric, take a look at the farmers and fulfill the promise you had made to them.”
Taking a dig at Chouhan, he added: “I need to inform the farmer brothers that they need to not fear. The movie (authorities) starring Shivraj ji has six extra months left, and after that all of us will observe the trail of reality and make Madhya Pradesh nice.”
The Chief Minister, however, made his newest allegation towards the Congress at a state officers’ assembly in Bhopal, the place he claimed, “The Congress had stated in its promissory be aware that it’ll deliver a brand new crop insurance coverage scheme, however Kamal Nath didn’t even pay the outdated insurance coverage quantity. We deposited Rs 2,200 crore of the outdated premium to farmers after coming to energy.”
How one can ‘counter lies’
With the BJP determined to not lose owing to anti-incumbency sentiments amongst voters, the state minister quoted earlier stated, “it’s as essential for a Chief Minister to maintain speaking as it’s to work”.
Citing the instance of Karnataka CM and occasion chief Basavaraj Bommai, the MP minister claimed, “he solely works to counter the Opposition’s techniques, however he’s not an aggressor. This has tarnished his picture”.
Bhagwandas Sabnani, a basic secretary within the Madhya Pradesh unit of the BJP, stated: “It isn’t surprising for the Chief Minister to ask questions. The lies of the Opposition can solely be countered by the reality. The duty of the Opposition is to ask questions, to not unfold lies.”
Final month, J.C. Madhuswamy, BJP chief and legislation minister within the Bommai authorities, whereas taking a jibe on the CM, had additionally requested occasion leaders to not stay mute spectators to Opposition allegations, however to reply aggressively.
“It’s unhappy that we’re left as mute spectators to the Opposition’s allegations. We moderately begin wanting inside ourselves to see if the allegations are true. As a substitute of questioning them, we begin questioning ourselves,” he stated.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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