By Praveen DwivediWith Madhya Pradesh gearing up for Assembly elections in the year ahead, former Chief Minister and state Congress chief Kamal Nath, in an exclusive interview with IANS, shared details of how Congress plans to take on the ruling BJP.
IANS: The year 2023 is going to witness heated Assembly elections, and the state Congress is getting ready to contest a second consecutive election under your leadership.What are your mantras for the party workers to take on the ruling BJP?
Kamal Nath: Every election is different and so is the 2023 Assembly election also.Black and white TV era is outdated now, you have to make a strategy accordingly.
We are not fighting against the BJP, but its organisation.We are coming to the Assembly elections strengthening the Congress and we are confident that we will win.’Booth jeeto, seat jeeto’ will be our main mantra.The Congress will fight against the BJP’s negative politics strongly.
IANS: The Congress seems energised after facing a back to back jolt in 2020, and the results of urban body polls were an indication of it.Do you believe that the people will support the Congress in the 2023 Assembly elections, too?
Kamal Nath: The Congress received massive support in the urban body polls held recently.The results are clear that people have supported the Congress in both urban and rural areas.The BJP was ruling in all 16 Municipal Corporations, but the Congress this time won five of them.
They used money, muscle and administrative power, otherwise, this result would have been more different.Momentum is very crucial in politics and at the present the momentum is with the Congress.
IANS: During elections, communalism goes high and all basic development issues take the back seat.Will 2023 MP Assembly elections be fought on development issues time?
Kamal Nath: See, communalism is the prime agenda of the BJP, and therefore, they are not going to do anything different this time also.We are aware that they will create a heated scenario in an attempt of polarisation, because their development has been exposed now.
Their fake claims of development done in the last 18 years have now been exposed.Madhya Pradesh has made high growth in crime against women and atrocities against tribal people.Big events are being organised to hide the reality of the state, but the people of the state have now decided to teach the BJP a lesson.
IANS: Corruption has been a serious issue which affects the people of the state directly and the opposition is targeting the BJP government on this.Will the Congress come up with any strong mechanism to reduce corruption from the governance system?
Kamal Nath: Madhya Pradesh used to be known for peace and harmony, but the BJP has changed its identity in the last 18 years of its rule.Vyapam scams have undoubtedly tarnished Madhya Pradesh’s image across the country.
Even then, instead of taking some concrete steps, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government has given a free hand to the people behind the scams.
During the 15 months of the Congress government, we acted against such people, that is why they panicked.Political leaders and the government officials those involved in corruption will be punished, if the Congress comes back to power in 2023.
IANS: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan reiterating that MP’s fiscal growth (19.76 per cent) is the highest in the country and the state has come out of BIMARU tag.On the other hand, the economic debt burden has crossed Rs 3 lakh crore.How is the state economy going to be affected in the future?
Kamal Nath: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has made a world record of making announcements and presenting fake datas.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, economic collapse occurred across the country and everybody is aware of this, however, the Madhya Pradesh government is presenting the BJP’s economic data, which does not match with the real economic data.
It’s not about a 3 per cent increase in economic growth, but we need to see how much economic growth has increased in the last three years.If the state’s economy has increased, as the BJP claimed, then why has unemployment increased.
Real economic growth means an increase in employment.Centre’s data revealed that the per capita income of the citizens of Madhya Pradesh has decreased.
IANS: With election days getting closer, communal/religious issues have started coming out, instead of real public issues.As an economic expert and the senior most politician, how do you observe this?
Kamal Nath: Madhya Pradesh is reeling under huge debt.The BJP government, on an average, borrows around Rs 5,000 crore every month.
Public money is being invested to pay interest and the government is investing money borrowed as loan for organising events.
IANS: There is a strong nexus in the governance system that plays with the future of the youth.Recruitment exam paper leaks have become common in Madhya Pradesh, which indicates that Vyapam ghosts are still present in the system.Will the Congress restructure the recruitment system, if it is back in power in 2023?
Kamal Nath: This is really a worrying situation for the youth in Madhya Pradesh.The Congress is determined to make a transparent system in the competitive exam recruitment process.The corrupt system has destroyed the future of our youths, which we will not allow in anyway.
If the Congress wins the elections, first of all we will take action against those running the nexus in the BJP government.The BJP has fixed the rate for recruitment, transfer and posting.
Many who are close to CM Chouhan have been found involved in corruption and they are being protected.
IANS: The BJP has been targeting the Congress by creating an impression that the grand-old party has suffered due to factionalism.How would you respond to this?
Kamal Nath: BJP’s ‘jumlebazi’ is not going to work now.At present, the MP BJP is divided into three parts — Shivraj group, Maharaj group and Naraz (rebel) group.A new Chief Minister’s face emerges every three months.Those who were doing ‘gutbazi’ (groupism) in the Congress, now they are doing partnership there.
The BJP should focus on its own and not worry about the Congress.
IANS: What is your message to the people of Madhya Pradesh on New Year?
Kamal Nath: On the New Year’s occasion, I would appeal to the people of Madhya Pradesh to support the Congress in the 2023 elections.People of the state have been cheated for the last 18 years, the kind of situation they have faced during the Covid pandemic and failure of the BJP government left thousands of families helpless.
Madhya Pradesh will become a growing state, industrialisation will happen and employment will increase.
We have planned to introduce a lot of schemes after forming the government and for that we will need support from the people.
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