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    With Kamal Nath at helm, Congress gets a fillip in Chhindwara

    Synopsis

    With Kamal Nath at the helm of Congress in election-bound Madhya Pradesh, the party has got a much-needed fillip on his home turf and is looking to improve its tally.

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    Though Nath has represented the Lok Sabha constituency for decades, BJP swept four of seven constituencies in 2013 and Congress could corner just three.
    CHHINDWARA: He is not only known for the work in the constituency but also the numerous chopper rides he offers to the people during his election campaign. This time around, though, the poster boy of Chhindwara, Kamal Nath, is being missed here. On a state-wide hectic campaign, nine-time MP Nath hasn’t been able to make much time for Chhindwara.

    That hasn’t deterred him from promising Chhindwara model to the rest of the state. People in Chhindwara refer to it as an “oasis” in the desert. There are also references like “keechad mein kamal.”

    Once you see the roads, industries and sanitation, one knows what “Chhindwara model” is. Chhindwara is a stark contrast with the rest of the districts in southern Madhya Pradesh. Nath has won the Lok Sabha seat for several terms and has ensured that the district has four-lane highways connecting all major towns, including neighbouring Nagpur and Seoni.

    Though Nath has represented the Lok Sabha constituency for decades, BJP swept four of seven constituencies in 2013 and Congress could corner just three. However, a strong undercurrent in favour of Congress and anti-incumbency against the BJP government after a continuous 15-year rule may see the party improving its tally in the district.

    With Kamal Nath at the helm of Congress in election-bound Madhya Pradesh, the party has got a much-needed fillip on his home turf and is looking to improve its tally riding on development card and anti-incumbency against BJP. What seems to be working against the BJP is the overall fatigue with the incumbent MLAs and flagship programmes of the Centre not percolating down to the grassroots.

    At the local fair in Jhilmili village in Chaurai Assembly constituency, villagers from across Jabalpur district congregate on what is considered an auspicious day, “Baaras”. This is the day when the weddings start after an inauspicious time of about four months. But it is not the impending wedding season the locals talks about.

    Election is the flavour of the day. When you ask them about BJP, the villagers are cautious. “We don’t know who we would vote for. The community would decide,” says Antara, a tribal woman who has come from Junnardeo. Prod a little and she complains about the ruling BJP.

    “It is time for change. The schemes conceived by CM are very good but they never reach the poor. The MLA hasn’t been seen for the last five years,” says Antara. Vikas, a resident of Udgaon in Chaurai constituency, says most of the schemes are cornered by local strongmen.

    “There is nothing in the name of sanitation or employment,” he says, adding, “The MLA is nowhere to be seen. Sarpanch and panchayat sachiv amass all wealth.” BJP has dropped one sitting MLA in Junnardeo Assembly segment.

    Nath adds a personal touch. Villagers say that when he campaigns he knows every Congress worker by his name.

    “Sometimes he forgets the younger person’s name, so he says ‘Tu Manohar ka beta hai na’ – he always remembers,” says a villager in Simariya. The Congress veteran has now won hearts after the construction of India’s tallest Hanuman statue in Simariya in Chhindwara.


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