The Congress and the BJP are both hoping to win the ongoing assembly polls in a big way to establish morale within party cadres across the country ahead of next year's general elections. However, allegations over scams and bribery have taken the limelight away from poll promises, putting both the parties on the defensive.
After a second purported video allegedly showed Devendra Singh Tomar, the son of Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, cutting a deal of "Rs 500 crore", Congress has sought suo motu money laundering probe into the matter by the Enforcement Directorate.
Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak, who screened the video on Monday, claimed that 50 per cent commission had become synonymous with the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh. She also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to "break their silence" in this issue.
During a speech in Bhopal on Monday, Rahul Gandhi asked why the ED, CBI and the Income Tax department had not begun a probe, adding that Madhya Pradesh became the country's "corruption capital" under BJP.
"All their ministers and the chief minister are involved in corruption. Mahakal Lok corridor, mid-day meal, Vyapam, which is the biggest scam that harmed over one crore youth and killed 40 people, the patwari scam, sale of MBBS seats. But (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi did not conduct any inquiry of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. No Income Tax, no CBI and no ED probes them," Gandhi alleged.
Meanwhile, in Chhattisgarh, the Congress has been accused of corruption over the Mahadev betting app scandal, with the BJP alleging that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was the scam's "kingpin".
While addressing the Vijay Sankalap Maharally, PM Modi on Monday hit out at the Congress over corruption, saying the countdown for its exit from Chhattisgarh had begun.
“A close aide of the Chhattisgarh CM is also in jail. Congress should reveal how much money did the CM receive in this,” Modi had said.
