Poll-bound Madhya Pradesh will witness two major assembly polls-related events in the next three days. On Saturday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will initiate the cash transfer to eligible women under Laadli Behna scheme which is being seen as an election game changer by the ruling BJP, while Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will launch the party’s election campaign on Monday.
Interestingly, both these events will be held in Jabalpur – considered the cultural capital of the state and the main seat in the crucial tribal-dominated Mahakoshal region in the southeastern parts of the state.
The Congress had won 28 of the 46 seats in the region in 2018 polls—one of the major region-wise hauls after the Gwalior-Chambal region where it won 26 of 34 seats. While the Congress will look to improve its tally in the region during upcoming elections to get a proper majority, the BJP which could win only 17 of 46 seats will be looking to snatch many more seats to stay in power.
Gandhi will worship ‘Ma Narmada’ (River Narmada) at Gwarighat before addressing a public meeting at Shahid Smarak in Jabalpur at 11.30 am. The Madhya Pradesh Congress is making grand preparations for the event and is claiming that about one lakh people will gather to listen to Gandhi.
State Congress chief Kamal Nath confirmed that this will be the launch of the party’s poll campaign. “This is the commencement of our poll campaign and I believe that people will listen to her (Priyanka’s) voice. It is important to bring Madhya Pradesh back on track and I am confident that the people of Madhya Pradesh will keep the future of the state safe,” Nath said in Bhopal on Thursday.
The Congress is upbeat after its massive victory in Karnataka and Gandhi, who actively campaigned in the southern state along with her brother Rahul Gandhi, is likely to be a key campaigner in Madhya Pradesh as well.
The MP Congress hopes that Priyanka Gandhi will especially resonate with the women voters – the most wooed section of voters in the state. The Congress has already announced two major promises – Nari Samman Yojana, involving cash assistance of Rs 1,500 per month to women, and domestic gas cylinders for Rs 500 – aimed at the women voters
Laadli Behna state level event
CM Chouhan will attend the state-level main function of the cash transfer initiation under the flagship ‘Laadli Behna’ scheme of the BJP government on June 10. Political watchers feel that since Priyanka Gandhi’s Jabalpur programme had been announced well in advance, Chouhan probably chose the same city for the key event.
Chouhan’s official event will be held at Garrison Ground of Jabalpur and the administration has been asked to ensure the presence of maximum possible women beneficiaries there.
About 1.25 crore women are likely to be beneficiaries of the Laadli Behna scheme which involves cash assistance of Rs 1,000 per month. The BJP government, especially CM Chouhan, is expecting this scheme to tilt the women voters decisively towards the ruling party on the lines of the Laadli Laxmi scheme for girls that proved to be a game changer for the BJP in 2008 polls.
The BJP government is undertaking mega branding of the scheme with Chouhan himself visiting almost all parts of the state with ‘Laadli Behna Sammelans’ (conventions) where the benefits of the scheme and the aim of the government to empower women were detailed.
Approval letters were distributed to the eligible women during the past week and a token amount of Rs 1 was transferred to bank accounts to check the system.
The initiation of cash transfer on Saturday is also a three-day event that commenced on Thursday with special gram sabhas that women attended. Other cultural events were held on Friday. On Saturday, events are planned at each village panchayat and urban ward level to mark the transfer of the first monthly installment under the scheme. Drums will be played, sweets will be distributed, firecrackers will be burst, and oil lamps will be lit at homes to mark the occasion, the government said. The chief minister has directed the administration to ensure that eligible women get invitations to attend the programmes to be held at different levels on Saturday.