They decided to knock on our door as country needs Congress today: Chhattisgarh CM
They decided to knock on our door as country needs Congress today: Chhattisgarh CM
Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel shared thoughts On his upcoming tour of the state, the emphasis on Lord Rama centric tourism, Prashant Kishor fight And Congresss is elbowing the post of the major opposition party.
From May 4, you are going to visit all the 90 assembly constituencies of the state. As per the published schedule, you will visit three villages in each constituency and the program also includes overnight stays. The next assembly elections are almost 17 months away, but is this the beginning of the Congress campaign?
I will not see it as a political campaign, elections are far away. During the COVID-19 pandemic, no one was able to travel that much. As a Chief Minister, it is important for me to get feedback from the public on the welfare policies of my government, assess its implementation and find out the shortcomings, if any. Also, when the Chief Minister of the state comes on the road, the administration and administration become straight and alert. It is my endeavor to meet all the stakeholders, social workers, beneficiaries and district level administrators.
You recently announced the development of the Ram Van Gaman Path – the route that according to mythology was taken by Lord Rama after being evicted from Ayodhya. You are being accused of promoting soft Hindutva. your comment?
How is this soft Hindutva? It is part of the culture of Chhattisgarh. We are the only state in the country to have a temple dedicated to Kaushalya, the mother of Lord Rama, at Chand Khuri, about 25 km from Raipur. Chhattisgarh is considered to be the home of his parents. The effort to develop this circuit is to make the country and the world aware of the rich history and traditions of our state.
But, isn’t this trying to counter the BJP’s Ram temple narrative?
Why do we need to compete with it? Hindutva is not a monopoly of any one party. Why should Chhattisgarh be known only for its forests, mines and minerals? There is much more to us and we are only showing it on the map of India.
In recent weeks, the Congress has been in the news for Prashant Kishor. Isn’t Mr. Kishor’s decision not to join the party after a few days of public meeting an insult to the Congress?
He came to us, we did not go to him. Mr Kishor wanted to show us a presentation which we all saw. And I believe he decided to knock on our door because the country needs Congress today. We listened to his suggestions. It is up to him to decide whether to join the party or not and it is for the party to consider his recommendations. There is nothing more than this.
After the final round of assembly elections, in which the Congress lost to the AAP in Punjab, its position as the major opposition party has become precarious. Isn’t the party losing the plot?
Even during the 2017 assembly elections in Punjab mahauli [atmosphere] In favor of you but obviously they could not convert it into victory. This time he did. Neither the AAP nor the TMC, which returned to power in West Bengal, can replace the Congress as the primary opposition party in the country.
Regional parties have existed for many decades. Look at Tamil Nadu, when was the last time a national party government was formed there? Or the Biju Janata Dal, which has won the assembly elections five times in a row. Or has the JD(U) managed to win any other state, despite the fact that Nitish Kumar is the longest-serving chief minister of the state? Were any of these parties able to expand beyond the boundaries of their states? Congress, on the other hand, has a pan-India presence.
But are you trying to establish your roots in Chhattisgarh too?
He had also bid in the last election. They are welcome to try again.
The speculation of change of power in Chhattisgarh is not taking its name to stop. The chief minister’s chair was to be rotated between you and TS Singh Deo mid-term. your comment?
What speculation? This question is irrelevant. Let us tell you that there was such a formula, so why has it not been implemented till now? I completed 2.5 years in the chief minister’s chair about a year ago.
But there is similar speculation about Rajasthan and there are indications that the leadership is contemplating a change in both the places?
The situation is not the same in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. There is no such issue in our state.
Congress ran a high-voltage campaign in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and you were an important part of it. what went wrong?
The answer is polarization. Voters split into two factions, those who did not want the BJP to go to the Samajwadi Party, and those who wanted the return of the BJP, voted for Yogi Adityanath. Look at the condition of BSP. They have been a major political force in the state, but what made them less? They could win only one seat. As far as Congress is concerned, voters told us that they will consider in 2024. Only Congress can fight and stand against BJP. We will fight with our hands to win the next election battle.