Big-ticket political events featuring Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi are scheduled in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur over the next three days underscoring the importance of the Mahakoshal region in the State’s politics in an election year.
On Saturday, Mr. Chouhan is scheduled to attend a State-level event during which he will credit the first monthly installment of ₹1,000 into the bank accounts of financially weak women under the Ladli Bahna Yojana. Two days later, Ms. Gandhi will launch the assembly poll campaign for her party after performing Narmada Pujan on the banks of the Narmada, followed by a roadshow and public meeting.
While the ruling BJP is banking on the Ladli Bahna Scheme for which 1.25 crore women had applied to further consolidate its hold among women voters in the state, Ms. Gandhi is also expected to speak about the Congress’ women-centric ‘Nari Samman Yojana’, while also rolling out its other key promises, such as loan waiver to farmers, pension to government employees, electricity bill free up to 100 units, in her message.
Jabalpur -- the nerve centre of the Mahakoshal region that borders the Vindhya region of MP as well as another election-bound State of Chhattisgarh -- figures prominently in the electoral calculations of both the camps. It has many as 38 Assembly seats, including seven in State Congress chief and former chief minister Kamal Nath’s pocket-borough of Chhindwara district.
In 2018, the region elected 24 Congress MLAs compared to 13 from the BJP, the results being crucial in the Congress’ brief return to power after 15 years. In Chhindwara district, all Assembly segments were won by the Congress, while in the eight Jabalpur seats, the scoreline showed a 4-4 draw, compared to a dominant 6-2 show by the BJP in 2013. In last year’s local body polls, the BJP lost all three seats of Mahakoshal region, with Congress winning Jabalpur after 18 years.
Another event will put Jabalpur, also known as the Sanskardhani or cultural capital of Madhya Pradesh, on the global map in the coming days. The city will host a national programme on the occasion of International Yoga Day, June 21. and preparations are underway.
