Today in Politics: Ahilyabai Holkar’s 300th birth anniversary top on day’s agenda

The PM will also virtually lay the foundation stone of various projects and inaugurate the Super Priority Corridor of Indore Metro, and airports in Datia and Satna, apart from performing a virtual “bhoomi pujan” of ghats to be built on the Kshipra river as part of the preparations for Simhastha Kumbh Mela in 2028.

As Anand Mohan J reported this week, this celebration of Ahilyabai in Madhya Pradesh, overseen by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, began eight months ago in September 2024 and is one of the most comprehensive campaigns undertaken in the state. It has spanned multiple cities and initiatives and has “elevated Ahilyabai from a historically revered figure to the centrepiece of politics in Madhya Pradesh”.

An expert told Anand that the state had not seen such a large-scale celebration of a religious icon at the government level earlier. The campaign has allowed Yadav to link Ahilyabai’s story to the development work and women’s empowerment schemes of his own government. “Ahilyabai’s place in the Hindutva pantheon is an additional bonus for the first-time CM, who is seeking to consolidate his position in the state’s politics,” Anand writes.

Not just the Prime Minister, Opposition leaders such as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav may also be seen sharing the stage at an event in Delhi to mark Ahilyabai’s birth anniversary. The event has been organised by former BJP ally and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha founder Mahadev Jankar.

Jankar was a minister in the BJP-led Maharashtra government from 2016 to 2019. However, after being overlooked for the Assembly elections last year, he struck off on his own and floated his political outfit. Jankar is from the Dhangar community, It is said that the Holkar dynasty also traces its roots to the community. The Dhangars have a sizable presence in Lok Sabha constituencies such as Solapur, Sangli, Baramati, Parbhani, and Satara in Maharashtra and are believed to wield enough clout to influence results in 25-30 Assembly seats, according to some estimates.

Also happening on Saturday

Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai will inaugurate the Allahabad High Court advocates’ chambers and multilevel parking building. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, seven Supreme Court judges, Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Arun Bhansali, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will attend the programme that is scheduled to begin at 10 am.