Kickstarting the Congress party’s campaign in Madhya Pradesh ahead of the assembly elections slated to be held later this year, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said that while religion is supreme for Indians, it does not mean votes can be sought by raking up people’s emotions.
“Religion is supreme for Indians but that doesn’t mean that the public be led astray and votes be sought by raking up their emotions,” said Vadra as she kickstarted the campaign in the crucial state of Madhya Pradesh.
Vadra’s warning to people in MP, made during a rally in Jabalpur on Monday, underlines the challenges the Congress faces as it squares against the might of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which rules in Bhopal as well as in Delhi.
By acknowledging the importance of faith in Indian culture and tradition, Vadra tried to blunt the BJP’s long-held narrative that the grand old party did not cater to the sentiments of the majority population. It was, however, an admission of the Congress party’s concerns that the BJP was still capable of raking up people’s sentiments during elections, perhaps through the fascination of Hindutva politics.
Though Vadra did not name the BJP directly in this context, her target was obvious. She said a party was repeatedly raking up people’s sentiments during elections for electoral benefit and that it was the people’s duty to not fall for it again. Make them accountable on work instead and not fall for their emotional play, she emphasized.
“During elections, they rake up your emotions. You are spoiling their habits,” said Vadra, pointing to voters that a leader would never realise that they would lose power if they didn’t deliver on work until the people made them accountable.
Vadra offered the Congress model of rule in other states as an antidote to the BJP’s potential of swaying voters through emotions.
Vadra likely to have increased national profile
Vadra started the day by offering prayers at the Narmada River with traditional Hindu rituals, a campaign tradition she has also displayed in other states.
With the Congress wresting power from the BJP in Himachal Pradesh and more recently in Karnataka, in addition to being in power Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Vadra tried to hard-sell the party’s promises and model of governance in MP. In both HP and Karnataka, she had campaigned actively and many Congress sympathisers would like to argue that she also played a role in impacting the voters’ choice.
With elections also coming up in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, where the Congress looks forward to defend its forts, Vadra is expected to play a more active role in national politics as she recently resigned from her role as in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, where the party sees little chance of revival.
We keep promises, look at Congress-run states: Vadra
Speaking in Jabalpur, Vadra asked the people of MP to look at Congress-run states and see that the party keeps the promises it makes.
Vadra said, “Wherever we rule, you are heard. In Karnataka, we had promised five guarantees and got them all passed by the Cabinet. In Rajasthan, the old pension scheme is implemented. All promises made during the election are implemented. In Chhattisgarh, paddy farmers are getting the best price anywhere in the country. In Himachal too, we will fulfill all out promises. Look at what the Congress governments are doing in other states.”
In her first rally in MP, Vadra made five promises to voters:
- Women would receive Rs 1,500 per month
- LPG cylinders would cost Rs 500 and not Rs 1,000
- Electricity bills for 100 units of power would be waived off while it would be halved for 200 units
- The Old Pension Scheme could be implemented.
- Farm loans would be waived off
The MP government is led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who barring a small abruption in 2018-20, has been at the helm of affairs for the last 18 years. Vadra made several references to this as she tried to convince voters that after such a long tenure, any government or leader was bound to face lethargy and take voters for granted. She dismissed Chouhan as a “ghoshnaveer” — one who only makes announcements.
Vadra said, “They feel they won’t ever go out of power. Inflation has increased, Unemployment has increased. Oppression has increased. People are getting divided. And you are being told that there is a golden period we are living in.”
