Is Madhya Pradesh govt's Vikas Yatra a feedback exercise of BJP for its ministers, MLAs?

With several videos of BJP ministers and MLAs facing public ire and other controversial happenings in the ongoing ‘Vikas Yatra’ of the state government in Madhya Pradesh, questions are making round whether the 20-day event is a covert ‘feedback’ exercise of the ruling party to gauge the public sentiment regarding the sitting MLAs/ministers.

The ‘yatra’ is being propagated by the state government as an exercise to provide maximum benefits of government schemes to people and to take their feedback on implementation of these schemes and programmes. Completed development works are being dedicated to people and foundation stones for new works laid. The event that commenced on February 5 is being organised by the respective district administrations with BJP ministers, MLAs and even party cadres in attendance. 

The ministers have been specifically instructed by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit till development block levels in the districts under their charge and then submit a feedback report to him at the end of the Vikas Yatra.

However, a number of videos on controversies during the past 10 days of yatra are making rounds on the social media, causing heartburn to the BJP and giving the opposition Congress a chance to mock the exercise.

The videos in circulation include that of minister Brajendra Singh Yadav getting sprayed with itch powder, minister Vijay Shah warning a youth who asked questions at his Vikas Yatra meet of police action, district collector of Panna Sanjay Mishra claiming at a meet that BJP will continue to rule for another 25 years, an MLA playing traditional flute used by snake catchers with a snake around his neck, other MLAs being not allowed to enter villages, being cross-questioned by people on their development claims, a obscene dance show at a meet in Niwari district and so on.

Political sources said along with taking feedback from the people on developmental works, the exercise will also help BJP gauge the mood of the people regarding the sitting MLAs/ministers and help the party in ticket distribution for the Assembly polls later this year. MLAs might be denied tickets by making negative feedback as a basis and viral videos might help in this cause. However, the feedback is also likely to help the party in identifying the loopholes and take corrective measures over next eight months, they said.

There are strong speculations that a final cabinet reshuffle is on the cards after the yatra gets over on February 25 and the feedback might help in removal and inclusion of ministers too. CM Chouhan has called all the ministers for a meeting on February 19 and speculations are rife that this might be a stock-taking meet.

BJP state secretary Rajneesh Agrawal, however, said that the Vikas Yatra was purely an exercise of the state government to take development works to every part of the state and the benefits of various schemes to all beneficiaries. Public representatives of the party and even the party cadre are helping in this process. “There is no other intention of this yatra and the party is certainly not looking at it for political feedback,” Agrawal said.

Chief of MP Congress media department K.K. Mishra, however, said that the yatra is an attempt of the BJP at political gains by misusing public funds and government machinery. “It might certainly be also used by the ruling party to gauge the public sentiment for or against the ruling party MLAs and ministers. However, the videos in circulation make it clear that rather than helping the ruling party, the Vikas Yatra has become a headache for them as the BJP leaders are facing huge backlash from the people,” he said.

MP Congress chief Kamal Nath has already termed the ‘Vikas Yatra’ (development rally) as ‘Nikas Yatra’ (exit rally) for the BJP, saying that if the party had worked sincerely during its 215-months rule in the state, they would not have to undertake such exercises.

Chief Minister Chouhan shot back saying that Kamal Nath was mocking the Vikas Yatra but he should answer regarding the poor conditions during the Congress rule in the state. “Were there any roads? Was there adequate power supply? People would put kerosene in lanterns for their kids to study during the rule of Digvijaya Singh,” he said at a Vikas Yatra meet in Berasia of Bhopal on Tuesday. He added that this was not an political programme but a campaign to change lives of the people.

The CM earlier said that till now 16,318 development works have been dedicated and 12,526 foundation stone laying ceremonies were conducted as part of the Vikas Yatra. Already development works worth hundreds of crores were in progress. He said that the exercise is connecting people to the government for many constructive initiatives.