{"id":13517,"date":"2023-06-16T14:04:27","date_gmt":"2023-06-16T08:34:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viewsonnewsonline.com\/?p=13517"},"modified":"2023-12-18T14:43:03","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T09:13:03","slug":"over-to-mp-rajasthan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/viewsonnewsonline.com\/over-to-mp-rajasthan\/","title":{"rendered":"Over to MP, Rajasthan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The electoral juggernaut is set to move up north to two key states, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Coming off the massive Karnataka win, the gong will not be easy for BJP this time.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n By Chanakya<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Coming off the massive victory in Karnataka and basking in the afterglow of Rahul Gandhi\u2019s successful Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Indian National Congress now gears up for two major fights in the coming months. One will be its struggle to regain control of Madhya Pradesh, while the other will be to retain control over Rajasthan. Assembly elections to these two important states will virtually pave the path to next year\u2019s general elections and will indicate how much weight Congress has before it can take on the heavyweight Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n True, the Congress is on a comeback path on the power of its development and anti-corruption agenda, but undermining the organisational strength of the BJP will be the Congress\u2019 biggest mistake. One such incident almost happened in Karnataka when aspiring chief minister Siddharamaiah declared that he would be banning the Bajrang Dal when he comes to power. It was a sane claim, but the narrative was quickly changed by the BJP from Bajrang Dal, an outlier outfit, to Bajrang Bali, a god. Congress was lucky that the people realised the difference. Karnataka has a knowledgeable population. In the backward states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, however, such mistakes could prove very costly. One cannot discount the insistent social media campaigning of the BJP IT cell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be fair, the Congress IT cell seems to have gained enough momentum to counter the BJP IT cell trolls with enough sober, yet intelligent firepower. More than public speeches, people these days seem to be relying on social media forwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us take a look at the key states going to the polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Madhya Pradesh<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Madhya Pradesh is slated to go to polls by the end of this year. On May 22, five promises were made to the people of Madhya Pradesh. These promises are almost the same as what was made in Karnataka. The Congress\u2019 official Twitter handle said: \u201cCongress\u2019s promise to the people of Madhya Pradesh. We fulfilled our promises in Karnataka, now we will fulfil them in MP too.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While the state\u2019s chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has publicly pooh-poohed Congress publicity campaigns, there is no doubt that the BJP has been shaken by the massive loss in Karnataka. At the same time, that victory has boosted the morale of the Congress no end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chouhan said: \u201cWho cares about Karnataka results? This is Madhya Pradesh. Here, we will register a record victory with great fanfare. What do they (Congress) have? We have Narendra Modi. We have party workers who toil night and day. Congress comes nowhere close. I still have many cards up my sleeve.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe so, but Chouhan faces attacks from all sides, including former ministers Ajay Bishnoi and Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat. Also, Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti Sangathan (JAYS) is trying to make an impact in Malwa. This will definitely have an impact on some seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Infighting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There has been subdued infighting in the BJP and that is now coming out in the open. There seems to be growing discontent in the BJP\u2019s Vindhya unit, because despite winning many seats in the region, it was not given proper representation in the cabinet. For all these reasons, there is a slight disarray and disunity in the BJP. While the party was already reeling under it, the Karnataka results have added fuel to the fire and the Congress\u2019s increased enthusiasm has posed a new challenge for the BJP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) seems to have reached further into desperate lands than the ruling BJP had in Karnataka. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJY and Rahul travelled around 382 km, especially across ancient tribal areas such as the Malwa plateau. People he had come in contact during the BJY, would have been influenced to an extent, and if the Karnataka experience sees a repetition, then the influence of the BJY would be substantial. In Karnataka, out of 15 tribal seats, BJP could not win even a single one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, 20%, or 47 seats are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST). According to experts, about 70 to 80 seats in the state are dominated by tribal voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not that the Congress will have it easy, though. In 2003, the tribal community contributed significantly to the BJP\u2019s return to power in the state. In the next two elections, the BJP continued to get support from the tribal community and remained in power. But in 2018 the tables turned and the BJP, which had won 31 ST seats in 2013, was limited to 16 seats in 2018 and the Congress\u2019s seat share increased from 15 to 30, allowing it to form the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BJP had won a total of 109 seats and Congress won 114 seats in the polls. The margin of victory was so narrow that the BJP was bound to form the government had the tribal voters sided with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rahul has predicted that the Congress will win 150 out of 230 seats in the upcoming assembly election later this year. \u201cKarnataka election result will be repeated in Madhya Pradesh,\u201d<\/strong> Rahul told reporters after the party’s meeting on election preparedness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe had a detailed meeting just now, and our internal assessment indicates that after securing 136 seats in Karnataka, we are now projected to win 150 seats in Madhya Pradesh,\u201d<\/strong> Rahul was quoted as saying by news agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a video shared by a news agency, when asked about the Congress party’s chief ministerial candidate for Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi chose not to provide a direct answer but emphasised the party’s goal of winning 150 seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One key person for Congress here will be Kamal Nath, who served as the state chief minister during Congress’ short-lived government in the state between 2018 and 2020. He said: \u201cWe discussed the strategy and the issues on which the party should contest these polls. We are all of the opinion that we will enter the poll fray unitedly.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n