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Journalism of Courage
A few thousand sit patiently under a shamiana in Dongiya village in the newly created district of Sakti in Chhattisgarh. They are waiting for Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and three Congress leaders who have just filed their nomination papers for the Assembly elections.
The gathering seems reminiscent of the meetings before an election when a CM’s term is ending. But then, Baghel takes the stage. And there is a palpable energy in the crowd, which bursts into slogans.
“Chhattisgariya!” says Baghel. “Sabse badhiya (the best),” roars the crowd.
Minutes earlier, the CM announced that if the Congress comes to power, it will announce another “karza maafi (loan waiver)” for farmers. In 2018, a similar promise was one of the reasons for the party’s handsome victory. If the kisan is strong, Baghel says at the Sakti meeting, Chhattisgarh would be strong.
A youth belonging to the OBC Kewat community says: “Our MLAs here (belonging to the Congress) are not accessible… but we will vote for the Congress because of Baghel.” A sociology student, whose ambition is to become a patwari, adds: “Baghel has put money into the hands of farmers, including the landless.”
According to a tall, lanky youth standing nearby: “The loan waiver promise will add 5,000-10,000 votes to his (the Congress’s) kitty in every constituency.”
In the first phase on November 7, voting will take place in eight Assembly segments of the Rajnandgaon parliamentary constituency and 12 of Bastar. The remaining 70 seats vote on November 17.
On the outskirts of Durg, falling on the road from Raipur to Rajnandgaon, a tea cart outside a hospital has relatives of patients gathered around. Here too, “rinn maafi (loan waiver)” is the main point of discussion.
A youth, who says he belongs to the Dhankhad OBC community, says the word has spread. “We are all going to vote for Baghel,” he says, adding: “Raman Singh (of the BJP) ruled for 15 years. Why should Baghel not be given a chance for at least 10 years?”
It’s clear that “kisani” and “Chhattisgarhiat (the Chhattisgarh identity)” are the two strains of Bahgel’s 2023 theme song to beat back anti-incumbency.
Kisani is not limited just to the loan waiver promise, but includes the “bonus” of Rs 600 above the MSP of Rs 2,203 for a quintal of paddy; a Gothan scheme, now promised by the Congress in Rajasthan too; and the purchase of cow dung at Rs 2 a kg. The last doesn’t just take care of economically unviable cattle, but also gives the BJP a run for its money on the cow issue.
“Baghel is doing many things pro-Hindu without talking about it,” laughs a village teacher, walking into a Kaushalya temple on the outskirts of Raipur. This used to be a small temple in the name of Lord Ram’s mother. It is now being converted into a “bhavya (grand)” structure as part of Baghel’s Ram Van Gaman Paryatan Paripath – the project to develop the route that Lord Ram apparently took when exiled to the forest.
Chhattisgarh is believed to be Kaushalya’s home, and Ram is revered as “bhanja (nephew)”. Baghel has built on the story, and the song ‘Kaushalya Dashrath Nandan‘ is quite the rage.
Baghel, not officially the CM face of the Congress, has mounted ‘Chhattisgarhi Olympics’, and declared holidays on local festivals like Pola ka tyohar, Gedi festival and Hareli tyohar. “This has gone down well with farmers, workers and villagers,” says a Rajnandgaon resident. But, the BJP supporter adds, “The people in the cities are not happy. They have not got anything.”
BJP leaders admit the party was in a disarray till a year ago. Now, to try and bridge the 10% gap that separated it from the Congress in 2018, the BJP has fallen back on familiar faces, including Raman Singh, who has been brought back from the shadows after five years.
Picking itself up, the BJP is sharpening its attack against Baghel, accusing him of corruption, including in the alleged liquor scam, and calling him out for “failing to deliver the houses he promised”.
The BJP is also counting on “rebellion by 22 Congress MLAs” who have been denied tickets. “It is not a cakewalk for Baghel, like it was six months ago,” says a senior BJP leader.
The significance of the election in Chhattisgarh, despite its size, is three-fold. Of the five states going to polls, it is a state where the incumbent Congress is best placed to retain power.
According to an inside assessment of the ruling party, they should get 55-57 seats. People more openly call it a 60:40 contest (in favour of the Congress). And this was before the “karza maafi” promise.
A repeat Chhattisgarh win will also seal Baghel’s stature in the Congress. Like Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan, he is an OBC (Kurmi) leader, when OBCs are the flavour of the season. While just serving out his first term, the 62-year-old has managed to get a grip over the party organisation and government – in 2018, he was one of four names under consideration for CM.
“Baghel knows rajnitik kaushal (political skills),” says a journalist. “And is a maestro in jugad (scheming), ukhad (ouster), prachar (publicity).”
In an indirect acknowledgment of how Baghel is directing the narrative, Raman Singh says the MSP, bonus to farmers and loan waiver is under the BJP’s consideration. Asked about the lessons he had learnt from his three terms in office (2003-18), he says: “I learnt that it is not possible to remain in power in Chhattisgarh, whichever party it be, without satisfying the farmers.”
(Interviews with Bhupesh Baghel and Raman Singh to appear on October 30. Neerja Chowdhury, Contributing Editor, The Indian Express, has covered the last 10 Lok Sabha elections. She is the author of How Prime Ministers Decide)
