Priyanka Gandhi, the General Secretary of the Congress party, is set to launch the party's campaign for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections today from Jabalpur, the city known as 'Mahakaushal' and has emerged as a focal point for power politics in the region.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a strategic move by unveiling the first installment of the recently launched 'Ladli Behna Yojana' from Jabalpur on June 10. In response, the opposition Congress is planning to kick-start its campaign with a grand roadshow.
Under the leadership of veteran politician Kamal Nath, the Madhya Pradesh Congress has devised a plan to counter the BJP's women-centric financial scheme called the 'Nari Samman Yojana'.
The Congress party aims to repeat its Karnataka model by promising subsidized cooking gas priced at Rs 500 and cheaper electricity to all consumers in the state. These three schemes specifically target women, and Priyanka Gandhi will appeal to them for their support.
The decision to launch the campaign from Jabalpur holds significance due to the substantial tribal voter population in the area. The Mahakaushal and Vindhya regions were not covered during Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', prompting the party to prioritize this location. In the previous Assembly elections held in 2018, the Congress emerged victorious in 11 out of the 13 Scheduled Tribe reserved seats in the eight-district division.
Renowned Supreme Court lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha commented that Priyanka Gandhi's rally in Jabalpur would also benefit the Congress in the neighboring Vindhya and Bundelkhand regions. It is worth noting that the BJP won 24 out of the 30 Assembly seats in 2018, and the Congress is striving to regain its foothold in the area.
Madhya Pradesh is divided into six regions: Mahakoshal, Gwalior-Chambal, Central India, Nimar-Malwa, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bundelkhand. The Mahakoshal region, encompassing districts such as Jabalpur, Katni, Seoni, Narsinghpur, Balaghat, Mandla, Dindori, and Chhindwara, holds a total of 38 Assembly seats.
In the previous Assembly elections, the Congress won 24 of these seats, while the BJP secured 13. Additionally, one seat was won by an Independent candidate. However, in the 2013 polls, the BJP emerged victorious in 24 seats, leaving the Congress with only 13 wins.
The Congress's success in the Mahakoshal region during the 2018 elections allowed them to form the government in Madhya Pradesh, with Kamal Nath serving as the Chief Minister. However, the government collapsed in March 2020 when MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia defected to the BJP.
(With inputs from IANS)
