Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections: To counter the ruling BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra, the Congress on Tuesday (September 19) will launch the Jan Aakrosh Yatra covering all 230 seats in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, in a bid to highlight what they view as the shortcomings of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.
The marches will collectively cover 11,400 kilometres across all 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh in 15 days. Congress leaders, including leader of opposition Govind Singh, former state Congress chief Arun Yadav, ex-ministers Kamleshwar Patel, Jitu Patwari, and Ajay Singh and former Union ministers Suresh Panchouri and Kantilal Bhuria, will lead the Yatra from various locations.
As the election in Madhya Pradesh approaches, both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress are making efforts to connect with the masses and they have either taken out or planned Yatras. The BJP has already launched the 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' with the aim of "seeking the blessings of the people." These Yatras, originating from different locations, will culminate in Bhopal on September 25. It is expected that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the grand assembly of BJP workers during this event.
Congress levelled allegations of rampant corruption against BJP
Earlier addressing a press conference, fromer Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and state Congress Cheif Kamal Nath and party in-charge for the state Randeep Singh Surjewala levelled allegations of "rampant corruption" against the ruling BJP government. They alleged that the government had failed to address critical issues such as unemployment and crime against women and Dalits.
Surjewala said that as many as 250 scams have taken place during 225 months of the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh. "The dissatisfaction among people against the 18-year rule of Shivraj Singh Chouhan has turned into ‘Jan akrosh’ (public anger),” he said. He further alleged Madhya Pradesh is witnessing “severe anarchy, crime, fear, atrocities and looting”.
“All sections, including tribals, farmers, Dalits, daughters, sons, backward classes and youths, want to remove this government to save the state,” Surjewala said and alleged 58,000 women and girls were raped and about 67,000 others were abducted in Madhya Pradesh in the last 18 years. To highlight all these issues, the Congress will take out “Jan Akrosh Yatra” from seven places beginning September 19, he said.
2018 assembly elections
In the November 2018 MP assembly polls, the Congress won 114 of 230 seats while the BJP finished second with 109 seats. The Congress formed a coalition government with the support of independents, BSP, and SP under Kamal Nath. However, it collapsed after 15 months when a string of Congress MLAs led by Jyotiraditya Scindia, now a Union minister, joined the BJP, paving the way for Chouhan's return as CM.
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