Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India]: Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Anand Sharma has slammed chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saying CM Chouhan formed the government by stealth after toppling the Congress government in 2020.
Sharma made the remark while addressing a press conference at the state Congress office in Bhopal on Tuesday.
“Madhya Pradesh, the largest state of India, has played a historical role in the country’s freedom struggle. The state has given very talented leaders to the country. But I felt very sad to hear that there is a lot of corruption in the BJP government here. Vyapam, Nursing and Patwari scam is in front of us today. They (BJP) did not even spare God, they did scam in Ujjain’s Mahakal Lok as well,” the Congress leader said.
Today, there is no institution left in the country which is not being misused and is being used only to suppress the opposition leaders, he added.
He also said, “CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had formed the government by stealth for the fourth time after toppling our government in 2020. The Prime Minister has been coming to Madhya Pradesh several times, but his visit will not have any impact here. After talking to common people and workers, it becomes clear that BJP is nervous from within. Because they (BJP) know that they are losing the elections this time, therefore they have sent three union ministers from the Center here to contest the assembly elections.”
The congress leader further said that they would implement the old pension scheme for the government employees of MP like Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh after being voted to power in the state.
“When the Congress government comes to power in MP, we will implement the old pension scheme for the government employees of the state like Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.
We will waive off the loans of farmers up to Rs 2 lakh, like we did in 2018. Madhya Pradesh is an agricultural state, but is number one in malnutrition. Today India’s rank in the Hunger Index is 111. Today the government is not run by the poor but by the capitalists.
Malnutrition has increased in the country and Modi ji is asking for votes,” he added.
The congress leader added that they followed the thinking and ideology of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and other great leaders. But the Prime Minister questioned their blood.
“We follow the thinking and ideology of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and all our great leaders. But the Prime Minister questions our blood, whereas we neither believe in doing this kind of politics nor do we have such a culture. The country is experiencing since 2014 that promises are made but are not kept. The Prime Minister is making new promises in Madhya Pradesh, while not talking about the promises made by his central government,” Congress leader Sharma added.
Madhya Pradesh is number one in atrocities on tribal people and 23.6 percent youth are unemployed in the state. The BJP makes big claims, but the investor summit they had organised here and crores of rupees were spent in its name. Why are they not giving account of what they wasted, he asked.
He added, “We will waive off the loans of farmers up to Rs 2 lakh. We will give Rs 1500 a month to women through Nari Samman Nidhi and domestic gas cylinders will be given at the rate of Rs 500. The old pension scheme will be implemented and free school education will be provided to children through the Padho-Padhao scheme. We are going to provide 100 units of free electricity and subsequent 200 units of the electricity will be halved.”
“We do not make false allegations like BJP, one can see that today all the allegations against Congress have been proved false. Congress does not have to give its account from 2014 to 2024, it has to be given by the BJP, it is their government,” the Congress leader further said.
Madhya Pradesh is one of the five states set to undergo polls in one phase 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.
