The Bharatiya Janata Party high command used every opportunity to insult incumbent Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Shiv Sena (UBT) faction MP Sanjay Raut alleged on Sunday. He claimed that the prime objective of PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah was not to defeat the Congress but to politically finish Mr. Chouhan on his home turf.
In his column ‘Rokhthok’ in the party’s mouthpiece Saamana, Mr. Raut launched a broadside against senior Congressman and Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath, remarking that there was “a great danger” in the 2024 general election [for the Congress] if there were “people around the Gandhi family who played politics that favoured” the PM Modi, Amit Shah and the BJP.
Also read | A look at the Modi-Chouhan influence on the BJP’s success in Madhya Pradesh
Kamal Nath’s ‘role’
“PM Modi and the BJP high command had aimed to make sure that Mr. Chouhan was unable to stake a claim to the CM’s post again… It was with this intent that the BJP high command decided to clip the wings of Mr. Chouhan and Nitin Gadkari in the event an unstable picture emerged at the Centre after the 2024 general election,” said Mr. Raut, who is an MP in the Rajya Sabha.
He said Congressman Kamal Nath had “a big role” in the BJP’s success in the recent Madhya Pradesh election.
“He [Mr. Nath] left his home for campaigning around 10 a.m. and would be back by noon after holding a rally at some nearby place. In contrast, Shivraj Singh held no less than 15 election rallies a day, thus creating an enthusiastic atmosphere for BJP voters,” said Mr. Raut.
The Sena (UBT) leader alleged that Mr. Kamal Nath was responsible for the first meeting of the INDIA bloc in Bhopal not being held.
“The Congress will have to get rid of such ‘sardars’ [alluding to Mr. Kamal Nath] ahead of the 2024 elections,” said Mr. Raut.
EVM affect
He expressed his suspicions about the affect electronic voting machines (EVMS) had on the results in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where the BJP won thumping victories.
He claimed that during the counting of ballot papers (postal ballots), the Congress was ahead in 199 seats in Madhya Pradesh, but the situation changed when votes in the EVMs were counted.
Mr. Raut further said it was “a myth” that the Congress cannot defeat Mr. Modi and the BJP.
“After all, the Congress has already previously defeated the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The ‘Modi magic’ worked in these three states this time, but failed in southern Telangana,” he said.
Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel, the outgoing chief ministers of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, put up a spirited fight, yet the Congress lost these two states, the Sena (UBT) leader said.
