This is an archive article published on November 7, 2023
Decoding Politics: 4 reasons why 3 tribal groups figured in PM’s MP speech
Rs 15,000 crore welfare fund announced for the vulnerable Baiga, Bharia and Saharia tribes, which form a big chunk of STs in state; in 2018, Cong won 30 of the 47 ST seats in state
Decoding Politics: 4 reasons why 3 tribal groups figured in PM’s MP speech
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At a rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh in October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised a “special mission” through which Rs 15,000 crore would be spent on the welfare of the Baiga, Bharia and Saharia tribes in the state if voted to power.
The three tribes have been identified by the state government as ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups’ or ‘PTGs’ – they were formerly known as Special Primitive Tribal Groups (SPTGs) — due to their low socio-economic and demographic indicators.
The numbers
These three tribes constitute 8% of the state’s total ST population, which stands at 21%. In the 2018 polls, the BJP could win only 16 of the 47 ST seats; the Congress got 30.
The result could explain the BJP’s interest in planning outreach initiatives to secure the tribal vote. Apart from this scheme, the party has also been celebrating tribal icons such as Rani Durgavati, Shankar Shah and his son Raghunath Shah.
The three tribes
* The Baiga tribe: Residing in eastern Madhya Pradesh’s Mahakoshal region, comprising the Mandla, Baihar (Balaghat), Dindori and Shahdol districts, this group is believed to have originated from the Bhumia Tribe of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. The tribe’s source of livelihood is forest produce. They are known to have a vast knowledge of medicinal herbs. As per the 2011 Census, the tribe is over 4 lakh in number.
* The Bhaira tribe: This community lives in the Patalkot district, which is located 78 km from Chhindwara, the constituency of Congress party president Kamal Nath. Largely cut off from the other tribes in the region, the Bharias stay in a horse–shoe shaped valley surrounded by hills. They are estimated to be 1.9 lakh in number.
* The Saharia tribe: The group lives in northern Madhya Pradesh, mostly in the Gwalior, Datia, Sheopur, Bhind, Morena, Shivpuri, Guna and Ashok Nagar districts. The main sources of livelihood for this group, at 6.1 lakh in number, are agriculture, daily wage labour, collecting and selling of minor forest products like honey, tendu leaf, mahua, and medicinal plants.
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Why Mahakoshal
With 38 Assembly seats, including seven in Kamal Nath’s bastion of Chhindwara district, the Mahakoshal region has been an area of interest for the BJP. In 2018, the Congress won 24 seats here as compared to the BJP’s 13. In 2013, the script was the reverse — the BJP had won 24 seats, while the Congress was limited to 13.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s popular Ladli Behna scheme could also potentially pay off dividends in this region, with women outnumbering their male counterparts in at least 18 of the 230 Assembly seats, including in tribal-dominated areas of Mahakoshal like Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori. The Baiga and Bharia tribes are said to hold sway in as many as 16 ST seats.
The importance of Northern MP
The BJP has traditionally performed well in the region — it won 16 of the 34 seats here in 2008 and 20 in 2013 — but faced a setback in the 2018 polls. That election, the Congress, riding on its promise of farm loan waivers and people’s expectation that Scindia would become CM, walked away with 26 seats. But as Scindia crossed over in 2020 with some of his supporters, including 22 MLAs, the BJP improved its tally to 16 seats. HL: Decoding Politics: 4 reasons why 3 tribal groups figured in PM’s MP speech
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More
