BJP plan to lift its stock in MP

BHOPAL, Sept 12: The Union Government's decision to set up a railway zone at Bilaspur has come as a much-needed shot in the arm for the B...

BHOPAL, Sept 12: The Union Government’s decision to set up a railway zone at Bilaspur has come as a much-needed shot in the arm for the BJP in this Congress-ruled State. Madhya Pradesh BJP general secretary Meghraj Jain told The Indian Express today that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee would lay the foundation stone of the new railway zone on September 20.

Unlike the demand for Chhattisgarh state, the demand for the railway zone at Bilaspur had seen violent agitations and property worth hundreds of crores of rupees had been damaged. At one stage, all ministers from the Bilaspur region had been submitted their resignations from the Digvijay Singh cabinet. They agreed to stay on only after the Chief Minister assured them that he would persuade the Centre to allocate a railway zone to Bilaspur.

AICC spokesman Ajit Jogi was reported to have announced earlier this month that if a railway zone for Bilaspur was announced by September 15, the BJP would have a major impact in all the 19 seats in Bilaspurdistrict. His words seem to have come true.

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The BJP, it appears, has decided to pay special attention to Chhattisgarh region, a traditional Congress stronghold. The region has 90 Assembly constituencies. After Vajpayee lays the foundation stone of the new railway zone on September 20, Home Minister L K Advani will visit Bilaspur on October 4 to address a division level party rally. Efforts are also being made to arrange another Prime Ministerial visit to the Chhattisgarh region to address one of the rallies in early October, according to Jain.

Seven yatras of the State BJP, led by senior leaders, are at present traversing the length and width of Madhya Pradesh, with the objective of educating the people on the “misrule” of the Digvijay Singh Government.

These yatras complete their itineraries by September 19. Early next month the party has planned big division level rallies all over the State. Vajpayee, Advani and Sushma Swaraj, among others, are scheduled to address these rallies.

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