Today in Politics | Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh phase 2 polls; Congress ready with Telangana manifesto

The Congress, which bagged 114 of the 230 seats last time but lost power due to the rebellion of now Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in 2020, seems to be resurgent under the leadership of former CM Kamal Nath and his long-time friend and colleague Digvijaya Singh.

Here are copies you can read to get a full picture of what is at stake:

1. Madhya Pradesh polls: BJP dominance since 2003, and Congress slowly chipping away
2. LPG cylinder to cash transfers to courting majority: Congress in a me-too race with BJP
3. Shivraj Singh Chouhan & BJP’s other challenge – BJP

The Chhattisgarh poll discourse was dominated by two conversations: the Bhupesh Baghel government’s pro-farmer welfare pitch and the BJP’s corruption charges against the Congress.

Every high-profile Congress leader that visited the state — from party president Mallikarjun Kharge to senior leader Rahul Gandhi — framed their policies as pro-poor.

The BJP kept throwing in allegations involving the Mahadev betting scam into the conversation and also spoke of religious conversion and ‘appeasement politics’.

Both were neck-and-neck as far as the promises in their manifestos are concerned.

A guide to getting the big picture of this election:

1. Chhattisgarh: 2018 was an exception in a state with closely fought polls
2. Chhattisgarh’s Patan shows signs of being a CM seat, but among basic demands are jobs, water
3. Why all eyes are on lone seat in Abujhmad, the last Maoist fortress

Congress manifesto in Telangana

Over the last month, the momentum in Telangana seems to have shifted. The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) was all powerful, riding on its range of schemes catering to various sections of the population. But the Congress, seizing on its crucial victory in neighbouring Karnataka in May, believes it can gain from the anti-incumbency against the K Chandrashekar-led party and storm to power in the state. The BRS also now seems to be on the defensive, shifting its narrative from the government’s achievements towards a potential situation that could arise “if the Congress comes to power”.

Crucial to this Congress narrative are the six guarantees — the model was followed in Karnataka as well — that the party promised in October.

On Friday, it is all set to release its manifesto. Kharge will spearhead this at a poll rally in Hyderabad’s Quthbullapur. As has been the case in MP and Chhattisgarh, the Congress is expected to announce a spree of schemes in Telangana as well.

Rahul will also head to the state to cover multiple constituencies as part of his campaign trail. He will first go to Pinapaka, then Narsampet, followed by Warangal East and end with a meeting at Rajendranagar in Hyderabad.

Karnataka BJP finally gets an LoP?

Almost six months since the elections in Karnataka, the BJP has been unable to choose a Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state to take on the Siddaramaiah government in the state.

A breakthrough may finally occur on Friday, with newly-elected BJP state president B Y Vijayendra scheduling a meeting of the legislature party at a private hotel in the city.

Former deputy chief minister R Ashoka is considered a front-runner for the LoP post. Hailing from the Vokkaliga community, Ashoka represents Padmanabhanagar constituency and served as deputy LoP from 2014 to 2018.

Other names doing the rounds include former deputy CM C N Ashwath Narayan (Vokkaliga) and former minister V Sunil Kumar (OBC). With Vijayendra, a Lingayat, at the helm of party affairs in the state, the party is expected to elect either a Vokkaliga or OBC for the LoP post, keeping caste equations of the party in mind.

Ashoka is considered to be part of BJP parliamentary board and former CM B S Yediyurappa’s camp, the other two are associated with BJP general secretary B L Santhosh’s camp.

— With inputs from PTI