The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to be inching to a comfortable victory across the 230 seats in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections. This is in keeping with exit polls that predicted the party’s win in the State for a fifth time. Incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on December 3, in response to the results, said they have properly implemented welfare schemes of the “double engine” government (of BJP at the Centre and in the State).
Also read: Live updates of Madhya Pradesh Election Results 2023
In particular, Mr. Chouhan accredited schemes such as the ‘Ladli Behna’ and ‘Ladli Laxmi’ with having “touched people’s hearts in Madhya Pradesh”. BJP’s election manifesto, titled Sankalp Patra, largely addressed gender, agriculture and education concerns shadowing the State’s progress. Across most social indicators, there has been no notable improvement in the last few years, an analysis by The Hindu’s data team showed.
In pursuit of women voters
For its women voters, the BJP banked on cash income transfers under the Ladli Behna scheme, rolled out earlier this year which guaranteed almost 1.31 crore women, between 23 and 60 years of age, of low-income households (less than ₹2.5 lakh per annum) a monthly aid of ₹1,250, along with a pakka house. The amount may gradually increase to ₹3,000, the party said. The party also promised beneficiaries of the Centre’s Ujjwala Yojana LPG cylinders at a subsidised rate of ₹450.
In addition, the BJP guaranteed skill development activities for 15 lakh women living in rural areas; a payment of ₹2 lakh to girl children until the age of 21; free education from kindergarten to postgraduation to girl students from disadvantaged families. Each Scheduled Tribe-designated block would also have an Eklavya Model Residential School. Under the Ladli Lakshmi Yojana, launched by the party in 2007, the BJP promised to increase the financial assistance from ₹1.43 lakh to ₹2 lakh.
Madhya Pradesh this time saw its highest-ever assembly polls voter turnout at 76.22%. Among women voters, the overall turnout was 76%, a slight increase from 2018.
To farmers, low-income families
The BJP has assured it will increase the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat to ₹2,700 per quintal and that of paddy to ₹3,100 per quintal. Congress, in comparison, pledged to purchase wheat at ₹2,600 per quintal and rice at ₹2,500 per quintal.
Farmers, who have lodged complaints about the MSP and a shortage of fertilisers, will also receive ₹12,000 every year under the Kisan Samman Nidhi and Kisan Kalyaan Yojana, the party said. Speaking to The Hindu earlier, Kishore Patidar, a farmers’ leader associated with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, criticised the ruling BJP government’s “absolute apathy”.
The BJP has promised free ration grains to disadvantaged families for the next five years, free education to every school student and home allocations to those in need under the Mukhya Mantri Jan Awas Yojana. There would be 100-unit electricity for ₹100 to every household. Funds worth ₹3 lakh were also earmarked to empower the State’s 21% tribal community. Moreover, the party will set up a welfare board for gig workers.
Home Minister Amit Shah also said free medical treatment, provided up to ₹5 lakh at present, would be scaled up to ₹10 lakh if BJP wins.
Infrastructure development
While announcing the manifesto, BJP national president J.P. Nadda said the party will oversee the establishment of one engineering institute named Madhya Pradesh Institute of Technology, and one medical college, the Madhya Pradesh Institute of Medical Sciences, in each division of the State. A medical city named Atal Medicity would also be built to address the State’s health needs.
The built infrastructure would see new projects. Mr. Nadda promised six new expressways, two near airports (in Rewa and Singrauli) along with new metro networks in Gwalior and Jabalpur. The party would infuse ₹5,000 crore in a proposed Bundelkhand Development Board to develop the drought-prone region — a model that could potentially be replicated across Vindhya and Mahakoshal regions.
