“Congress always treated tribals as vote bank”: PM Modi promises free education for tribal girls in Madhya Pradesh

Jhabua (Madhya Pradesh) [India]: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday trained his guns at the main opposition party in the state- Congress, alleging that the grand old party always treated tribals as a ‘vote bank’ in contrary to his party-BJP, which has been working for the welfare of the community.

Addressing a public rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh’s tribal-dominated Jhabua district, PM Modi also promised to provide free education to girls from KG to their post-graduation and to open medical colleges in tribal districts once the BJP government is formed in the state.

“Congress always treated tribals as vote-bank, while BJP worked for their welfare. BJP government in MP will provide free education to girls from KG to PG and will open medical colleges in tribal districts,” PM Modi said while claiming that Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh are only concerned about their sons, while BJP cares for children of tribals.

PM Modi also claimed that the Congress is moving towards a big and shameful defeat.

“The atmosphere that I am witnessing in Madhya Pradesh now, it is clear that the people will ensure that lotus will bloom, and the Congress is moving towards a big and shameful defeat,” PM Modi added.

Intensifying his attacks on Congress, the PM also said that wherever there is a Congress government, all their energy there is invested in stopping the work done by him and stopping his projects from going ahead.

“Whatever I do for you from Delhi, the BJP Government adds to it. It expands it and brings it to you rapidly. There is a double advantage of a double-engine government. But you have to be alert. Wherever there is a Congress government, all their energy there is invested in stopping the work done by Modi and stopping his projects from going ahead even if it harms your own state. Let your politics be in your house, why are you causing loss to the people? Why do you play such games? Congress is not going to improve. Let them stay at their home,” he added.

Notably, Jhabua is home to 3.13 lakh registered voters and reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST).

The BJP has fielded Bhanu Bhuria from Jhabua while Congress has fielded state Youth Congress president Vikrant Bhuria, the son of sitting MLA Kantilal Bhuria.

In the 2018 assembly elections, BJP’s Guman Singh Damor defeated Vikrant Bhuria by 10,437 votes. Damor, a retired state government officer, resigned from the assembly in 2019 after winning from the Jhabua-Ratlam Lok Sabha constituency.

In the by-election that followed, Kantilal Bhuria, the former union minister snatched the Jhabua assembly seat back from the BJP by defeating Bhanu Bhuria by 27,804 votes.
The PM also said that there were only reports of starvation from tribal areas, backward areas, and pictures of malnourished children till Congress was in power.

“Congress leaders used to go to the huts of the poor and get their photographs clicked, showing their poverty and misery and once their picture was shined, they would forget those poor people. Nana (maternal grandfather, referring to Pt Nehru) also did this drama, grandmother (Indira Gandhi) also did it and father (Rajiv Gandhi) also did it,” the PM said.

In a swipe to Congress leadership, PM Modi said that those children who did not get proper nutrition during the Congress rule were used to decorate the pictures of Congress leaders.

The state is set to undergo polls on November 17 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3. Voters will choose legislators from 230 Assembly constituencies.

Notably, the last state assembly polls in 2018 saw the Congress coming to power, with veteran leader Kamal Nath taking oath as the chief minister. Nonetheless, a political upheaval rocked the state in 2020 after then-Congressman Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with 22 loyalist MLAs, switched over to the saffron camp.

The Congress government fell after being reduced to a minority and the BJP formed the government, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan returning as chief minister.