Assembly Polls 2023: Tracking Narendra Modi’s campaign trail

Chhattisgarh will go to the polls in two phases– first on November 7 and then on November 17. Polling in Madhya Pradesh will take place on November 17. Rajasthan and Telangana will go to polls on November 25 and 30 respectively.

Counting for all states will take place on December 3.

November 9, 2023

Modi had a busy day in Madhya Pradesh, addressing three rallies in Chhattarpur, Satna and Neemuch. He urged voters to keep Congress out of power for “at least 100 years”, alleging that the grand old party was an “expert” in reversing the country’s progress. He also discussed his welfare schemes and other issues, but the focus remained on attacking the Congress and accusing it of neglecting Madhya Pradesh’s development when it was in power. The Congress government had fallen halfway through the term, marking the return of incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Later, Modi addressed a rally in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, where he invoked the murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal and accused the Congress government of “sympathising with terrorists”. “The murder of Kanhaiya Lal ji is a big stain on the state government. Such a heinous incident happened in Udaipur because there is a Congress government which sympathises with terrorists,” he said.

“Terrorist organisations like Popular Front of India (PFI) hold rallies without fear in the state as the Congress government is a sympathiser of terrorists,” Modi added.

November 11, 2023

Modi promised a committee dedicated to the empowerment of the Madiga community on November 11. He was addressing a rally in Hyderabad organised by the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS), a community organisation of Madigas, one of the biggest constituents of Scheduled Castes in the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The community has been fighting for the categorisation of SCs for the last three decades, as they say the benefits of reservations and other welfare measures have not reached them

Modi also took the opportunity to lash out at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar over his comments on former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi. He further attacked the Congress and the ruling BRS, calling them “anti-Dalit”. “This Congress twice did not allow Babasaheb Ambedkar to win. For decades together, the Congress ensured that Babasaheb’s portrait was not put up in the old Parliament, Central Hall…Babasaheb was not given the Bharat Ratna for decades together because of the Congress,” he alleged.

It was during this rally that Modi had to briefly interrupt his speech, due to a young woman who was allegedly climbing a structure on which lights were fixed at the venue. He repeatedly requested the woman to come down, noting that the electric wires may short-circuit. “Beta, I will listen to you. Please come down and sit. It may short-circuit. This is not correct. I came for you people. There is no use doing such things,” he said in Hindi.

November 13

Modi wrapped up campaigning for Chhattisgarh on November 13, where the second phase of voting will take place on November 17. Addressing a rally in Mungeli, he took a dig at the purported power-sharing agreement between Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Deputy CM TS Singh Deo, and said when the Congress can ditch its own senior leaders, then it is certain that it will cheat people and not fulfil the promises made to them. “The Congress has also understood that now its time is over in Chhattisgarh. Some journalist friends from Delhi and political analysts have told me that the chief minister (Baghel) is himself going to lose (election from Patan seat),” he claimed.

He also renewed his attack on Congress, alleging that the party is anti-OBC. “The Congress hates Modi. They have started hating even Modi’s caste. For the last several months, Congress has been abusing the entire OBC community in the name of Modi…They have even refused to apologise after a court directed them to do so… This is an example of how much hatred they have for the OBC community. It is the Congress which insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar. It is the Congress which conspired to end Babasaheb’s politics,” he said.

In Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund, he said, “First phase of voting in Chhattisgarh has busted Congress’ ‘balloon of lies’.” He further alleged, “Centre built 4 crore houses for the poor in last 10 years; Congress govt in Chhattisgarh disrupted the scheme.”

Later, in Madhya Pradesh’s Barwani, Modi said he would visit the native village of tribal icon Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary on November 15. He also announced plans to launch a welfare scheme for the tribal community as he alleged that the Congress had been ignoring adivasis for 60 years.