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Polls 2008: Madhya Pradesh
It was not a printer's devil! Eyebrows were raised in this big commercial city and elsewhere in Madhya Pradesh when people recently saw senior Congress leader Margaret Alva's picture in a Bharatiya Janata Party's election campaign advertisement in newspapers. What is she doing in BJP ads, wondered many people. Some of them thought that she had “embraced” the saffron party. A complete reading of the ad reminded people of the saying that “everything is fair in love and war”. And it is proving to be true in poll battles also. The BJP advertisement featured Margaret's face with her well-known big red "bindi" on her forehead (maybe the BJP boys made it more prominent through photo-shop software), and her recent sensational comment that the Congress election tickets were being sold. "Oh, my God! Margaret has become a star campaigner for the BJP," a college teacher reacted on seeing the ruling BJP's ad carrying her face. Referring to the Margaret Alva episode, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has gone to the extent of claiming in election rallies that "if the Congress is given a chance, it won't stop selling Madhya Pradesh too." The BJP, however, has not repeated the Margaret Alva advertisement as its own MP in Rajasthan recently claimed that "the BJP has also sold election tickets in our state and elsewhere." However, the Madhya Pradesh assembly election campaign is still being fought through a massive "ad war" -- with both the BJP and the main opposition Congress party hitting each other below the belt. The BJP has now come out with a new advertisement to convey that "the Congress does not give anything free -- even the seat of power." "That Congress which could not allot election ticket 'free' to its leaders in these assembly elections, so how can it give anything 'free' to Madhya Pradesh?" screams the BJP ad. The Congress in its manifesto has promised many things, including free five hp electricity to the poor people and drinking water. The BJP has compared the Congress manifesto with "a smart salesman's scheme to sell old goods at new prices." "If the Congress comes back to power, it will once again bring the regime of cheating," the BJP ads are cautioning voters and telling them that "Madhya Pradesh's voice is -- Again BJP, and Again Shivraj Singh Chouhan." On the other hand, the Congress ads are claiming that "the BJP poll list is full of tainted names." The Congress is distributing a 100-page booklet containing its charge sheet against the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. The charge sheet has listed 139 allegations against the chief minister and his 13 ministers. Describing the Chouhan regime as a
"tainted government," the Congress is countering the BJP through its posters claiming that the ministers spent their five years in loot and corruption. According to the Congress ads and posters, 18 cases are pending before the Lokayukta against the ruling BJP ministers. "In five years of the BJP rule," the Congress claims, "the state is ravaged by malnourishment, widespread corruption and crime." The party ads are asking people whether they know that "Madhya Pradesh tops in crime against Dalits, tribals, women and children." If you ask the people whom do they believe in -- the BJP or the Congress -- after reading election ads and posters, their stock reply is that "all parties are two faces of the same coin." They are expecting only one thing from their elected representatives: lower inflation, good health and education facilities, adequate electricity supply, better roads, more jobs and less crime. "We want these things in reality, not on paper," a schoolteacher said. The BJP is hoping to return to power believing that the people will follow its warning: "Mahengi Padi Congress." And, maintaining a brave face over the high inflation issue, the Congress is claiming that the people do not want to see the BJP's "tainted names" again in Bhopal. Soon, the voters will tell "kaun kisko mahenga pada."
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Scindia family on test Bhopal, November 22 For Jyotiraditya Scindia, the strength of his claim on the chief ministerial “gaddi” will be considerably eroded if he fails to improve the Congress’ position in the region. The politics of the Gwalior-Chambal region has been revolving around “Jaivilas Palace”---the palatial fort from where the Scindias ruled the territory for over 150 years-since the early 1960s.That was when Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia, grandmother of Jyotiraditya, jumped into politics. After the death of his father Madhavrao Scindia in an air crash, the young Jyotiraditya donned his father’s mantle. He has learned the ropes of the game and is no longer a greenhorn. Barring a few exceptions, candidates of his choice have been fielded by the party, thus increasing the pressure on him. The other Scindia in MP politics — Yashodhararaje, sister of Madhavrao Scindia and of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhararaje---is in the BJP. Both “bua” and “bhatija” are in the Lok Sabha and represent the neighbouring constituencies of Gwalior and Guna respectively. Yashodhararaje, however, is not as keen for the BJP’s success as her nephew is for the Congress’. After all, she has nothing to gain if the BJP performs well in the region and nothing to lose if it is drubbed. She has bid adieu to state politics, after having tried and failed to secure the pre-eminence enjoyed by her sister in Rajasthan. She was a minister in the BJP government for two years but was in the news for all wrong reasons-including the government issuing a circular directing that the royal honorific “srimant” be prefixed to her name in official communication instead of the common place “manniya” (honourable). Presently, of the 34 seats in the region, 21 are held by the BJP and 11 by the Congress. The remaining two are shared by the BSP and an Independent
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BJP not fulfilling its poll promises in MP: Rahul
Bhopal, November 22 Addressing election meetings at Damoh, Jabalpur and Indore, Rahul said although the BJP had made tall promises about these three things, the situation with regard to them had remained unchanged in the last five years. He said instead of trying to fulfil its promises, the BJP was talking of terrorism. However, in reality, it was the Congress that had fought the terrorism menace and was still combating it effectively, Rahul added. Advising the BJP not to play politics on terrorism issue, the Congress general secretary said during the NDA rule a plane had been hijacked to Kandhar in Afghanistan and after that dreaded terrorists were released. He said the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh was unable to implement the programmes for which it got money from the Centre and also it did not execute its poll promises properly. Rahul also stated that if the Congress comes to power in Madhya Pradesh, the first thing it will do would be to waive off those electricity bills given to farmers in the state. The meetings were also addressed by Union commerce minister Kamalnath, Congress general secretary Narayansami, also in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, and state Congress unit president Suresh Pachouri. — PTI
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Digvijay escapes in
dais collapse Rajgarh, November 22 After minor repairs, Digvijay again took the mike and unleashed an attack on the ruling BJP and quoted Bharatiya Janshakti leader Uma Bharti’s comment dubbing the BJP as ‘dishonest’. He said even Uma Bharti accepted that the Congress government was better than the incumbent BJP government. “'During my regime, several public welfare-oriented works were carried out and free power was supplied to farmers, but today, peasants are not getting even sufficient power supply,” he alleged.
— UNI
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Poll Sidelights Ignoring the alleged involvement of Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, some Hindu religious leaders and a serving Army officer in the Malegaon blasts, the BJP is promising 'military education' for school students if it comes to power in the Assembly elections. “If the BJP is voted to power again, it will impart military training to school students so that they can defend the society against terrorism,” points out the BJP election manifesto. The BJP is, however, silent about whether this military training will be separate from the one that is already being given in many schools and colleges through the defence ministry's old National Cadet Corps scheme. The BJP has also promised to set up ‘special squads’ of youth in every panchayat to create awareness against terrorism and help victims in case of terror attacks. This time BJP's 'Pappu' will fail: Diggi Raja Morena:
‘Diggi Raja’ - Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh - for some strange reasons prefers to describe the BJP-ruled state's chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, as ‘Pappu’ in election rallies. Addressing a public rally here some days ago, Digvijay Singh said: “This time, ‘Pappu’ will not pass the election exam”. Claiming that this time the Congress would form the government, Digvijay Singh predicted that the BJP would win only in 80 to 85 constituencies in the 230 seats Assembly. When told that he had made similar predications before the 2003 Assembly polls but after Shivraj Singh Chouhan's swearing in as the Chief Minister, he had commented that “Chalo ‘Pappu’ pass ho gaya,” Digvijay Singh said: “This time, ‘Pappu’ will fail. He won’t be able to qualify the five-year course.”
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