Exhorting his party workers to prepare for next year's Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, BJP national president J.P. Nadda on Friday said that the Bhupesh Baghel-led State government was working as the Congress party’s ATM.
Presenting a slew of statistics on what he described as development work done by the BJP at the Centre and during its three stints in power in Chhattisgarh, Mr. Nadda said that while the BJP stood for development, Mr. Baghel was merely interested in garnering money for his party’s coffers.
“They want to fill the party’s treasury by looting the common people of Chhattisgarh…. Would you let such people to continue [in power]... Do you want to become Congress’ ATM?” he asked while addressing a large number of booth-level party workers who had come for a convention from across the State at the Science College ground here.
‘Bhai-behen ki party’
The BJP president said that while his party fights nepotism across the country with an ideological background, Mr. Baghel’s politics is bereft of any ideological concern and he is only interested in serving the brother-sister duo of senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
“Bhupesh Baghel is not running a party for some ideology, he is carrying the mantle of a party that belongs to Bhai-Behen (a reference to the Gandhi siblings)…. It’s necessary to send them packing,” he said.
Accusing Mr. Baghel of corruption and inaction, Mr. Nadda said that not only had the Chhattisgarh government stalled Central schemes such as Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Yojana by not contributing its share, it had also encouraged corruption in a big way.
Prior to the event, Mr. Nadda also held a 6-km road show after reaching Raipur, his first visit to Chhattisgarh since taking over as the party president. He also felicitated a group of booth-level functionaries from the State. The objective of the convention and the road show was to enthuse the cadre who have been dormant for a while, said an office-bearer of the party.
The BJP president will be in Chhattisgarh for three more days. From Saturday, Mr. Nadda will attend the ongoing ‘Akhil Bharatiya Samanvay Baithak’ (national coordination meeting) of office-bearers of various outfits inspired by the RSS, he said.
