BHOPAL: With the campaigning in the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh gaining speed, both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and principal opposition Congress are getting engaged in a ‘yatra war’.
The BJP has already launched five ‘Jan Ashirwad yatras’ from different parts of the state, to reach people and inform them about the “development work” during the party’s 18-year-old rule and “corruption” in the 15-month-old Kamal Nath-led Congress government.
In a tit-for-tat, Congress has planned ‘Jan Akrosh Yatras’ to inform the voters about the “deteriorating law and order” situation, particularly, “rising crimes” against SC, ST and women and “corruption” in Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government. According to a senior state Congress leader, seven senior leaders will launch the yatras from different parts of the state on September 15.
While the party’s poll campaign committee chief and former union minister Kantilal Bhuria will lead the yatra in the tribal-dominated Mahakoshal region, another ex-minister Arun Yadav will head it in Nimar region (southwestern MP). Ex-parliamentarian Suresh Pachouri will launch the yatra from central MP, while former leader of opposition in the state assembly Ajay Singh ‘Rahul’ (son of ex-CM Arjun Singh) will lead it in Bundelkhand region.
Moreover, the current leader of the opposition, Dr Govind Singh will be taking the yatra in his native Gwalior-Chambal region, which is also the home turf of several powerful BJP leaders, including two union ministers – Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narendra Singh Tomar. Former MP minister Jitu Patwari will lead the Yatra in his native Malwa region (western MP), while another former MP minister and newly appointed Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Kamleshwar Patel will head it in the Vindhya/Baghelkhand region.
Taking a potshot at Congress, Chouhan said on Thursday, “Our Jan Ashirwad yatra is to seek the blessings of people who love sustained work for bettering their lives. On the other hand, the Congress has named its yatras Jan Akrosh Yatra, as the party knows that it will have to face Jan Akrosh (public angst) over the 900-odd promises of its 2018 poll manifesto which remained unfulfilled, despite the Congress being in power for 15 months.”
Neemuch violence Meanwhile, as many as five persons, including one Khema Gurjar, who is allegedly associated with the Congress, have been arrested in connection with the Tuesday evening attack on BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Neemuch district of west MP.
The Congress has claimed that the attack was the result of anger among residents of Ravalkudi village over their milch cattle’s grazing land being included in the alternative habitat for African cheetahs being developed in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
But the ruling BJP claims that those who attacked the Yatra were actually Congress people, who took advantage of villagers’ grouse over the issue.
