Attacking the 18-year-old Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on July 21 appealed the people of the State to elect a strong government that could neither be “bought nor dislodged”.
Addressing a Jan Aakrosh or public anger rally in Gwalior, the home turf of her colleague-turned-opponent, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ms. Gandhi made a veiled reference to Mr. Scindia’s political switch over to the BJP that resulted in the fall of a Congress government in the State three years ago. The very foundation of the government that replaced the Congress regime was “faulty”, she said.
“This time, I feel that there is a wave of tremendous change in Madhya Pradesh and I urge you to make Congress win this time with a huge majority. Form such a strong government, which can neither be bought nor toppled, one that works for you day and night for five years and makes your future strong,” she said.
While identifying inflation as the biggest issue faced by people, Ms. Gandhi, attacked the record of Mr. Chouhan on corruption, jobs and keeping promises.
“So I want to ask you that the Jan Aakrosh has been written here, what is this Jan Aakrosh about? Is this public anger on your issues or not? And standing here, I can also criticise the Prime Minister for 10 minutes in this 30 minute speech, for 10 minutes I can say how many announcements, fake announcements, how many scams, how many dramas Shivraj ji does, and I can also talk about Scindia ji for 10 minutes, how suddenly his ideology has changed. But today I have not come here to divert your attention, I have come to talk about your issues and what is happening today. Your biggest issue, I know what it is – is the issue of inflation,” she said, citing the example of tomato whose retail prices have risen dramatically in recent times.
During what was her second public event in M.P. in the past 40 days, she also reiterated the five poll guarantees her party is committing to the people of MP while asserting that such promises had been fulfilled in other Congress-ruled States such as Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The “guarantees” in M.P. include a monthly allowance of ₹1,500 each for women, waiving off farmer loans, 100 units of free electricity, LPG cylinder for ₹500, and Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Manipur issue, Ms. Gandhi said that the PM’s statement on the strife-torn State came after 77 days following a video of sexual violence against women. She added that even in that statement he politicised the issue and named the States ruled by Opposition parties [Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh], she said.
Taking exception to the PM’s purported statement that all Opposition leaders were thieves, she said the Opposition’s meeting was attended by senior leaders who command respect in their States, while lamenting that “political decency has taken a beating” and “allegations and counter-allegations have become the norm”.
Congress’ numbers in the Gwalior-Chambal region that accounts for 34 Assembly seats paved the way for its brief return to power in 2018 before Mr. Scindia made the switch. This time too the party is betting big on the region as it eyes both the 2023 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Last month, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal too had held a public meeting in Gwalior.
