12-06-2023 : Priyanka Gandhi, the general secretary of the Congress party, launched the party’s campaign for the upcoming Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh with a rally in Jabalpur. She strongly criticized the ruling BJP government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, accusing it of rampant corruption and a failure to generate employment opportunities. Priyanka Gandhi highlighted various alleged scams, including those related to Vyapam, ration distribution, mining, e-tender, and the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. She claimed that the state had witnessed 225 scams during the BJP’s 220 months of rule.
Emphasizing the frequency of corruption, Gandhi stated that the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh engages in a new scam every month. In contrast, she promised that if the Congress were voted into power, they would provide Rs 1,500 per month to women, LPG cylinders for Rs 500, 100 units of free electricity, and implement the old pension scheme. Furthermore, the Congress leader pledged to waive off farm loans, citing examples of other states where the party had implemented similar measures.
Gandhi also criticized the BJP government for its poor track record in job creation, claiming that only 21 government jobs were generated in the state over the past three years. She expressed her dismay at the Chouhan government’s neglect of religious idols, referring to the damage caused to six idols in Ujjain’s Mahakal Lok corridor. Mocking the BJP’s claim of a “double-engine government” bringing development, she pointed out that the Congress had emerged victorious in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, where the BJP had previously held power in both the state and central governments.
Taking a dig at Jyotiraditya Scindia, a former Congressman who joined the BJP and became a Union Minister, Gandhi accused him and other leaders of abandoning the party’s ideology for personal gain. She condemned the BJP for manipulating the political landscape by toppling the Kamal Nath-led Congress government through means of financial power. She urged citizens to question the BJP’s failure to address critical issues such as unemployment, inflation, and education.
Gandhi also questioned the effectiveness of the recent initiatives announced by Chief Minister Chouhan, alleging that his government had done little to improve the lives of women during its 18-year tenure. She highlighted the achievements of the previous Congress government, including the waiver of loans for farmers and the establishment of cow shelters.
In her speech, Gandhi cautioned the audience against falling for politicians who make grand promises during elections but fail to deliver. She shared the story of a farmer who neglected his crops based on a false prediction of rain on television, resulting in the destruction of his harvest. Encouraging the crowd to remain grounded in reality, she criticized Chouhan for his propensity to make announcements without following through on them. The rally also featured speeches from Kamal Nath and JP Agrawal, with several other senior Congress leaders in attendance.
Prior to the rally, Gandhi conducted a prayer ceremony along the banks of the Narmada River, symbolizing the significance of the river to the people of Madhya Pradesh. Jabalpur, located in the Mahakoshal region, holds importance due to its substantial tribal voter population. In the previous Assembly elections, the Congress won the majority of Scheduled Tribe reserved seats in the region. With 38 Assembly seats in the Mahakoshal division, the Congress secured 24 seats, while the BJP won 13, and one seat went to an Independent candidate.