Anticipation and enthusiasm was high in the Mathpara locality of Chhattisgarh capital Raipur on the morning of January 6 as a crowd, holding bamboo trays full of rice and vegetables, waited for Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. They were celebrating Chher Chhera, a post-harvest local festival. Baghel soon made an entry and received the gifts, a key feature of Chher Chhera, which is now a public holiday in Chhattisgarh.
A day later, Baghel travelled to Rajim―a holy city located about 50km from the state capital―to inaugurate a 25ft-tall Ram idol. It was the third such idol to be installed in the state in the past few months under the ambitious Ram Van Gaman Path, a project aimed at developing 75 spots in the state linked to Ram’s vanvas.
Baghel returned to the capital a few hours later and met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the airport, presenting him with a package of millets grown in the state. He wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi the next day, urging him to include millets in the list of grains distributed under the National Food Security scheme. Later in the day, Baghel inaugurated the first ‘Chhattisgarhiya Olympics’, a three-month-long traditional games competition.
In between all these engagements, Baghel also found time to criticise the “anti-constitutional stand” of Governor Anusuiya Uikey, following her refusal to sign two bills that proposed hiking caste-based quota in the state to 76 per cent―32 per cent for scheduled tribes and 27 per cent for OBCs. He also blamed the BJP for the recent communal flare up in Narayanpur of Bastar region over the issue of conversion of tribals to Christianity.
Baghel is working with a focused strategy of cultivating pride in Chhattisgarh’s identity, promoting welfare measures for rural people and taking on the BJP aggressively to ensure that his government is returned to power when the state goes to polls later this year. Observers believe that the Congress is well on its way to retain power, although it may not be easy for Baghel to match the party’s performance in 2018 when it won 68 of 90 seats. A surprisingly weakened BJP adds to its chances. The Aam Aadmi Party, which made some noise initially, does not seem to be doing well, while the Janta Congress of Ajit Jogi is in tatters after the demise of its popular founder.
“With his well-planned sociocultural and political steps, Baghel has not only emerged as the undisputed face of the Congress, but has also blunted the edge of the opposition challenge. The Congress looks well placed for another term and Baghel will be its face in every way,” said political analyst Diwakar Muktibodh. He highlighted Baghel’s welfare schemes aimed at farmers and women and his promoting the culture and traditions of the state. These include the Godhan Nyay scheme that seeks to boost rural economy by purchasing cow dung and cow urine and involving women’s self-help groups to make value-added products out of them. In the next step, cow shelters are being turned into rural industrial parks.
Arun Sao
The government offers subsidies to paddy farmers, cash assistance to landless agriculture labourers and has introduced health and nutrition facilities. It promotes local traditions by giving additional public holidays for local festivals, highlighting the significance of local games and cuisine and introducing a state song and a state icon. By taking up projects like the Ram Van Gaman Path and cow protection initiatives, Baghel has not allowed the BJP to play up the hindutva card.
The chief minister is in constant touch with the voters through his ‘Bhent-Mulaqat’ programme, under which he has already visited more than 50 assembly constituencies. Slowly, Baghel, who was earlier known as dau, a term used for influential landholders, has transformed into kaka (uncle), underscoring his growing bond with the electorate. Though some people feel that Baghel is short-tempered and arrogant, those close to him say he is very sensitive and emotional.
Baghel hails from a family of rich landholders belonging to the socially influential Kurmi caste. He comes across as a quintessential family man, often sharing photographs of his wife, Mukteshwari, on social media and expressing his love and gratitude for her. Mukteshwari is the daughter of the late music composer and litterateur Narendra Dev Verma, whose composition “Arpa-Pairi ke Dhar” is the state song of Chhattisgarh. Her uncle Swami Atmananda was a revered spiritual leader. This association gives Baghel an added sociopolitical advantage.
Muktibodh said all these made Baghel far more influential and popular than when he started as chief minister five years ago. After the Congress won in 2018, Baghel had to deal with three other contenders for the chief minister’s post. Of these, Charandas Mahant was made speaker and Tamradhwaj Sahu was given the home portfolio. T.S. Singh Deo, however, refused to relent. There was said to be a deal between him and Baghel about sharing the top post for two and a half years each. Singh Deo was reportedly slotted for the first half, but Baghel managed to convince the Congress high command otherwise. Once he got the chance, Baghel made sure that the post stayed with him, while Singh Deo was given the health portfolio.
Baghel has clearly emerged as a favourite of the Gandhi family, working with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. “His stature has grown locally and nationally and he has become one of the key leaders in the Congress,” said Muktibodh. He, however, warned that Singh Deo’s continuing discontent might dent the Congress’s prospects, especially in his stronghold Surguja, which accounts for 14 seats.
Political commentator Shashank Sharma said issues like caste-based reservation and religious conversion which flared up recently could prove costly for the Congress. “Tribals are deeply angered by what they see as attempts by Christian missionaries to alter their identity. Also, civil society organisations, which have considerable influence over the tribals, are upset with the Congress government for failing to fulfill poll promises regarding tribal rights. The dalits are angered by the proposed reduction of caste-based quota from 16 per cent to 13 per cent,” said Sharma.
Political analyst Sanat Chaturvedi, however, said the impact of issues like reservation and conversion would be short-term. “Anti-incumbency, the support of the RSS and the BJP’s own strength in urban areas will help the party improve its performance compared with 2018, but because of its weak leadership, it probably will not be able to push the Congress out of power,” he said. Despite dominating the national political scene, the BJP has been in a free fall in Chhattisgarh after its humiliating defeat five years ago. Dharamlal Kaushik, who was made leader of opposition, and Vikram Usendi and Vishnu Deo Sai who led the state unit of the party after the poll debacle, failed to take on the Baghel government.
About six months ago, the BJP went for a total overhaul of its organisational and legislative leadership. Ajay Jamwal, who has RSS links, was made zonal general secretary (organisation) for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Bilaspur MP Arun Sao replaced Sai as state president and Narayan Chandel took over from Kaushik as leader of opposition. Also, D. Purandeswari, the party general secretary in charge of Chhattisgarh, was replaced by Om Mathur, a confidant of Modi and Shah.
The BJP is attempting a fightback under Sao’s leadership. He said Chhattisgarh was a hub of peace and harmony under the BJP government, but the Congress made a mess of it. “Earlier, conversions were common only in the tribal areas, but now they are being done near Raipur and Bilaspur,” he said. On the issue of caste-based reservation, Sao said the Congress was just doing politics and had no intention of giving people their due.
“Corruption is rampant in every sector, the law and order system has collapsed, poll promises were not fulfilled and development has totally stopped. The Congress government has not been able to construct even a single school, a single health centre or a single road. Rather, it stopped the extension of Central government schemes to the poor people,” said Sao.
The BJP state chief denied any weakness in his party organisation and said workers and leaders were working aggressively towards winning the 2023 polls. “We had a historically successful public meeting of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Korba on January 7. The response from the people was tremendous. Senior leaders will continue with their visits and this will motivate our workers further.”