MP polls: Shivraj Singh Chouhan attacks Congress’ ‘raja, maharaja, udyogpati’

Indore: Taking a dig at the Congress, Shivraj Singh Chouhan Monday said “raja, maharaja and udyogpati” were troubled because a farmer’s son had been the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for the last 13 years. While Chouhan did not take names, the monikers are often used by BJP leaders to refer to Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath, respectively.

Speaking at a rally in the poll-bound state, the chief minister said the three Congress leaders were “conspiring” to prevent him from becoming the chief minister for a fourth consecutive term. The state goes to polls on November 28 and the counting of votes will take place on December 11.

“Raja, maharaja and udyogpati are very much troubled because of me. They are wondering how a farmer’s son has remained chief minister for the last 13 years. They dream about me day and night,” Chouhan said at Manglia in the Sanver Assembly segment as part of his ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’. “They are afraid about my becoming chief minister for a fourth time. Therefore, they are constantly conspiring against me by levelling baseless allegations,” he said.

The BJP leader told the gathering that the Congress had filed a petition in the Supreme Court about irregularities in the state’s voters’ list, but the apex court had dismissed it. Further hitting out at the opposition party, Chouhan said the Congress was under an “illusion” that there was “anti-incumbency” prevailing in the state.

The Congress created legal hurdles in the implementation of the Sambal scheme under which outstanding electricity dues of people belonging to economically weaker sections were waived off, he said. Referring to former chief minister Digvijaya Singh as “bantadhar” (spoilsport), Chouhan alleged road, water and power infrastructure had completely deteriorated under the former’s tenure.