MP polls – A litmus test for Shivraj Singh Chouhan

It’s the democratic season again as polls in the state are scheduled for November 27 and political pundits are awaiting a multi-faceted contest.

Biswajit Jha

It’s the democratic season again as polls in the state are scheduled for November 27 and political pundits are rubbing their hands with glee, as they await a multi-faceted contest that puts Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s performance to the ultimate litmus test. The fight in Madhya Pradesh promises all the trimmings of a keen battle as the BJP, led by Chouhan, and state unit president Narendra Singh Tomar are pitted against main opposition Congress under former Union Minister and state president Suresh Pachouri. Since Madhya Pradesh is one of the few by-polar states, the elections here have been far from exciting. With no real third front yet to emerge to spilt the milk for the main political parties- BJP and Congress- and with the General Election round the corner, national issues like terrorism, national security, inflation will be the main electoral issues for both the parties. Let’s find out what are the core issues that the political parties will be banking upon to woo the voters of the state: Though in the last five years, the state has seen three Chief Ministers (Uma Bharati, Babulal Gaur and Shivraj Singh Chouhan), the BJP seems to have done enough repairing job to keep its voters’ faith in them. The last three years, under the present Chief Minister, the Government launched several developmental schemes like Deen Dayal Upchaar Yojna, Ladli Lakshmi Yojna, Gaon Ki Beti and many other schemes for the downtrodden and the girl child. The issue of Bijli-Sadak-Paani, a main issue on which firebrand former BJP leader Uma Bharati took on former Congress CM Digvijay Singh and successfully handed a huge defeat to the Congress, still holds its prominence in this election. Though this burning problem of the state is far from solved, the present government deserves credit for some basic improvement. Madhya Pradesh is among the very few states where the Central schemes like NREG and JNNURM have been well implemented. But, as it is said that only development can’t win you any election in India, BJP like always, will have to depend on some emotional issues like Hindutva, terrorism and national security etc. to pip Congress in. Though inflation seems to have been reined in, the BJP has taken up this issue to embarrass the UPA government at Centre, headed by Congress. The BJP is also trying hard to polarize the Hindu vote banks by inciting sympathy among Hindus after the arrest of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, while attacking the Congress for using it as a ploy to garner Muslim votes. The ruling BJP, leaps ahead of the Congress until a few months ago, is not without its own set of challenges and is busy creating an effective strategy to counter both the BJS and the Congress. Minimizing infighting and quelling any feuds that follow the distribution of tickets is of utmost importance at this juncture, failing which, the ruling party might see its campaign fail in eliciting a desired response from the voter. The Congress is counting on the Uma factor and plans to corner the BJP on unfulfilled promises, a law and order crisis, communalism and corruption besides “failure on all fronts”. Elected to Rajya Sabha for four terms, Congress state unit president Suresh Pachouri’s lack of electoral experience is likely to make Congress face rough weather as the campaign progresses. Pachouri, since his appointment as state unit chief, has attempted to downplay factionalism rampant in the state Congress and diversify political liabilities by broad-basing the party hierarchy. On Pachouri’s pre poll to-do-list is a middle path that he is expected to work out with former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, who has remained conspicuously silent over the state elections. The Congress which suffers huge infighting and lack of able leaders in its rank in the state, is highlighting the failure of the state Government and corruption among some of its ministers, as a poll plank. Taking a dig at the BJP’s development agenda, the Congress leadership has started blaming the BJP for hijacking the Central government schemes like NREG and JNNURN. They are, in turn, projecting the success of these schemes as ‘their achievements’. Cornered by BJP with issues like terrorism, national security and inflation, the Grand Old Party of India is highlighting corruption in the current government. The ‘dumper scam’ against the CM, that almost triggered his downfall one year back, will find prominence in its election campaign. Corruption charges against as many as 13 BJP ministers in the Lokayukta, has definitely put BJP on the backfoot. Though, unlike BJP, there is hardly any emotional issues for Congress, they are trying to highlight ‘Hindu terror’ to woo Muslim vote bank, but the party is apprehensive that the move may turn out to be counterproductive and may turn away Hindu voters. Pitching her bit in the battle in MP, is the Bharatiya Janshakti Party (BJS) under saffron clad Uma Bharati and her earlier estranged protégé former Union Minister Prahlad Patel. Also in the fray contenders like the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) and the Gondwana Ganatantra Party (GGP) apart from the Left parties. Parties with marginal regional presence like the SP, BSP and SP are expected to do well in pockets, the primary triangular contest is between the ruling BJP, Congress and the BJS led by Uma Bharti. The BJP, under Bharati, had swept to power in 2003 ending a ten year Congress rule under the chief ministership of Digvijay Singh. She, however, quit the party over an altercation with party leadership. After a prolonged low profile, Bharti re-emerged on the political horizon with a hugely attended public rally in the state capital Bhopal that has thrown BJP’s poll preparations out of gear, by adding a glimmer of hope for the Congress and a new dimension to the contest. Bharti says her party is in the polls to contest the Congress, a plan that leaves no doubts in the minds of the BJP that the Sadhvi will attempt to polarize its voters in the contest, matching Shivraj-Tomar combine’s liberal pre-poll rhetoric with her own Hindutva oratory. Bharti has attracted several BJP leaders who are upset with the party for ignoring them while distributing tickets.