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As the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition Congress embark on separate yatras across the length and breadth of Madhya Pradesh, they're out to prove a point – 'Which party is more Hindu?'
The Congress on Wednesday, 19 September – which happened to be Ganesh Chaturthi – began its Jan Aakrosh Yatra, as the ruling BJP's 10,500-km five Jan Ashirwad Yatras approached their last stretch in the state. The Congress' yatra, which was flagged off from seven places, is set to travel over 11,000 km, covering all the 230 Assembly seats in 15 days.
The BJP, on the other hand, had flagged off its first Jan Ashirwad Yatra on Sunday, 3 September, from Chitrakoot in the Vindhya region.
As the two parties ramp up campaigning ahead of the 2023 state Assembly elections, analysts opine that both Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and MP Congress chief Kamal Nath are falling back on the Hindutva rhetoric that comes from a place of "necessity" – backed by different reasons.
In Chouhan's case, it appears to be the last resort, considering that his government's direct cash transfer schemes like Ladli Behna Yojana have done only little for the party.
Launched on his 65th birthday on 5 March in Bhopal, the scheme promises Rs 1,000 per month (now increased to Rs 1,250 per month) to women aged between 23 years and 60 years, with certain riders – including that the beneficiaries are not income tax payees and their families' annual income is below Rs 2.5 lakh.
However, that doesn't solve the bigger household problems faced by many. For example, unemployment is a major concern for families in Madhya Pradesh. The state had 25.81 lakh registered unemployed youths as of 1 April 2022. During the decade from 2011-12 to 2021-22, only 1,647 jobs were actually offered out of the officially advertised vacancies, as per media reports.
Experts also believe that the direct cash schemes would be hard to sustain as Madhya Pradesh is struggling financially. The per capita debt has risen significantly, reaching Rs 41,000 per citizen, a significant leap from Rs 13,853 in March 2016 and Rs 10,896 in FY 2013-14. The state's overall debt, as of June 2023, amounts to Rs 3,31,651.07 crore.
Another senior journalist, on the condition of anonymity, said that Chouhan initially played ball with the Hindutva narrative to feed the need of his political makeover due to the anti-incumbency factor – but it didn't help his all-loving persona.
The journalist further said that Chouhan's efforts to go from being 'Pradesh ka Mama' to 'Bulldozer Mama', and then back to 'Ladli Bahno ka Mama', didn't help much – and that's why, once again, the party is focusing on polarising the electorate.
At the yatras, Chouhan is focused on the Sanatana Dharma controversy, sparked by the statements of Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and a leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam – which is also a member of the 'INDIA' bloc – instead of promoting development. While speaking to the media in Jabalpur district on Monday, 18 September, Chouhan said:
Journalist-turned-political commentator Deshdeep Saxena told The Quint:
Moreover, even as Congress leaders accused the BJP of polarising the election around religion, local party leaders were instructed to "identify prominent religious sites for public gatherings," as part of its Jan Akrosh Yatra campaign.
Speaking at a press conference organised to announce the yatra, general secretary Randeep Surjewala had said:
Concurring with Saxena, political commentator Rasheed Kidwai said that Kamal Nath, who seems to be enjoying his autonomy in fighting the MP Assembly elections, hasn't shied away from embracing his identity as a Hindu leader.
The comments by political experts find relevance in the instances of Kamal Nath hosting renowned babas, like Dhirendra Shastri in Chhindwara last month. He is also known for being a Hanuman bhakt as he built the Simaria temple, which has a 101-ft-tall Hanuman idol in Chhindwara.
Kamal Nath even recently remarked about India becoming a Hindu nation, saying "in a country where Hindus are in such a large percentage, this should not be a matter of debate, it is a fact."
Even amid its efforts to pander to Hindu sentiments, a senior Congress leader told The Quint that the party now wants to step up the fight against the BJP by aiming to mobilise people over issues such as corruption and unemployment, while countering the politics of religion employed by the BJP.
"We also know that the BJP will try to bring in the Sanatana Dharma angle and try to polarise the voters. But our yatras will take care of this propaganda. We are as much Hindu as the common people, and we don't use it politically like the BJP does," the Congress leader claimed.
Political commentator Dinesh Gupta, however, opined that even as the Congress is raising issues of unemployment and corruption, it is not following up on them for long enough to make an impression on voters – like they did in Karnataka.
On the other hand, the BJP is trying to revive its Jan Ashirwad Yatra, which has seen a lukewarm response in Madhya Pradesh. Despite launching it from religious hotspots like Chitrakoot's Kamtanath temple, Sheopur's Ramtalai Hanuman temple, and Khandwa's Dhuniwale Dadaji temple, media reports suggest that the yatras are facing challenges, evident in sparse crowds and empty chairs after two and a half weeks.
Even the presence of prominent BJP leaders, including Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma (who is known for his pro-Hindu, polarising comments), and Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani, have not been able to help draw crowds.
With narratives driving this year's campaigns, the Madhya Pradesh election appears to be heading down to the wire, according to CVoter's election tracker for June 2023.
With a sample size of over 17,000 people across the state, CVoter has predicted a tally of 112 for the BJP and 114 for the Congress in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
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