Madhya Pradesh BJP has shifted into a higher gear for the impending by-polls for 25 seats in the state, with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia jointly visiting the Hatpipalya constituency in Dewas district and in Agar constituency in Agar Malwa district on Tuesday.
In both the constituencies, the leaders announced or initiated different developmental works, distributed scheme benefits to people and addressed mass gatherings urging people to vote for the BJP candidate in the upcoming by-polls. In Hatpipalya, the duo, along with state BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma, also unveiled the statue of former chief minister Kailash Joshi.
Speaking at a gathering in Agar, Scindia attacked the Congress vehemently on different fronts and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chouhan profusely.
“On one side is a party that locked down democracy by imposing emergency and on other side is Modi ji who imposed lockdown to save the lives of the people. It is not an easy thing to do, imposing lockdown so swiftly in a country of 130 crore people. But I want to thank Modi ji, who showed the way to the world during the (COVID-19) pandemic and saved numerous lives when lakhs were dying in countries like the USA,” Scindia said.
He also attacked former chief minister Kamal Nath, reiterating that the latter had the time to hold meetings for IIFA awards, but not for COVID-19 prevention. Praising Chouhan, he said, “In the state, a fighter took over on March 23 and fought the raging pandemic alone for a month and then a team of six (following induction of five cabinet ministers) took forward the fight against the pandemic.”
Scindia also mimicked Kamal Nath’s gestures in context of his stage appearance with actors Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez during the announcement of hosting of IIFA award function in Indore. The award function had been cancelled later in view of the pandemic.
Scindia’s mimicry of Nath is interesting because, during the campaigns in the run-up to the 2018 assembly polls, and even during later by-polls, Scindia would regularly mimic Chouhan and even Modi.
The Rajya Sabha member who joined the BJP in March this year with 19 supporting MLAs to engineer the fall of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government, told the gathering that he would continue to fight on the streets against injustice to people. “I will be your sword as well as your armour,” he said, adding that BJP will perform so well in the by-polls that the Congress will lose sleep.
Later, talking to mediapersons on the Rajasthan political scenario, Scindia reiterated that there was no recognition of talent and capability in the Congress party and this is being proven state after state.
In both the constituencies, CM Chouhan also attacked the Congress and Kamal Nath, saying that the state was totally destroyed in 15 months. “Schemes were discontinued and Kamal Nath and Congress even gobbled up the money meant for premium of farm insurance.” He said that the state secretariat was turned into a haven of corruption and middlemen and even the posts of district collectors and superintendents of police were sold.
He assured the people that the BJP government will take all steps to amend the situation and no one will be allowed to remain hungry in the state.
