Nation

List Of BJP Scams Longer Than PM Modi’s List On Insults: Priyanka Gandhi In MP

June 12, 2023
Bharat Times

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday kicked off the Congress party’s campaign and Sankalp 2023 for the year-end Madhya Pradesh Assembly election from Jabalpur after praying at the banks of the Narmada river. She also garlanded a statue of Rani Durgavati, who attained martyrdom fighting the Mughals.

Addressing a gathering at Shaheed Samarak in Jabalpur, she said: “Announcements are made during elections and big promises are made, but after winning polls, they (BJP) don’t try to fulfill the promises.” She further remarked that the people of Madhya Pradesh are being “used” and “exploited” for past 18 years.

Listing out alleged BJP “scams”, she also commented that the list of these “scams” was longer than the number of insults PM Narendra Modi recounted, in a reference to his remark in the recent Karnataka election campaign.

Earlier in the day, she offered prayers at the banks of the Narmada river.

Jabalpur is at the centre of the state’s Mahakoshal region, which has a sizable number of tribal voters.

In the 2018 Assembly polls, the Congress won 11 of the 13 Scheduled Tribe reserved seats in the eight-district division, with the remaining two bagged by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

People in the Mahakoshal area or Jabalpur division having eight districts feel neglected by the BJP. We did well (last time) in the area. This time around we are going to sweep the polls, Jabalpur mayor and Congress’ city chief Jagat Bahadur Singh told news agency PTI.

Congress Rajya Sabha member from MP and senior Supreme Court lawyer Vivek Tankha told PTI that Jabalpur was picked for the party’s campaign launch as Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra did not pass through this area.

The rally in Mahakoshal area will help the Congress in neighbouring Vindh and Bundelkhand regions. Moreover, there is strong anti-incumbency (against BJP government) in Mahakoshal and a large chunk of traditional tribal voters of Congress dwell in this region, he said.

MP has six regions, namely Mahakoshal, Gwalior-Chambal, Central India, Nimar-Malwa, Vindh, and Bundelkhand. Mahakoshal or Jabalpur division comprises Jabalpur, Katni, Seoni, Narsinghpur, Balaghat, Mandla, Dindori, and Chhindwara districts and has 38 assembly seats.

In the last Assembly polls, the Congress won 24 of these seats while the BJP managed to win 13. One seat was bagged by an Independent candidate.

With wins in Mahakoshal in 2018, the Congress was able to form a government in MP under Kamal Nath, though it fell in March 2020 after MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia walked out and joined the BJP.

Now the Congress faces a challenge to keep its seats intact in Mahakoshal in the coming elections.