RAIPUR: The opposition BJP and the Congress are at odds over the names of the state government schemes implemented in Chhattisgarh. The BJP has alleged that the Bhupesh Baghel government has gone ahead by taking over the programmes of the Centre and counting them with different names while executing them.
The allegations of “credit snatching” have come from BJP state in-charge Om Mathur, who is spearheading the month-long ‘Maha Jansampark Abhiyan’— the campaign aimed to highlight the nine years of achievements of the Modi government. He said there were several welfare programmes of the Central government but these were being counted as the state government schemes by simply re-christening them.
The BJP accused the ruling Congress of attempting to garner political mileage. The Congress retorted by listing out 51 state government schemes for the BJP with a challenge to prove its argument. “The BJP should review and clarify if there is any trace of the programme launched by the Centre among these 51 schemes of the Congress government,” said Sushil Anand Shukla, Congress media cell secretary. He affirmed all the 51 state programmes remain funded and executed by the state government.
The Congress contended that most schemes run by the Modi government are actually the programmes of the earlier UPA-led Centre.
The rechristening of names of schemes in Chhattisgarh is not new. In February 2019, the BJP raised the issue when the Congress government renamed five schemes of the previous BJP government identified after Jan Sangh leader Pt Deendayal Upadhyay alleged political vindictiveness. The Congress had then justified the move, saying the earlier BJP government in 2004 had renamed schemes that were named after Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
Meanwhile, the BJP has devised its plan of action to corner the state by holding protest marches and demonstrations in the coming months. “We have carried out extensive discussions over the ground report that the party has assiduously prepared with feedback from all 90 Assembly seats”, said a senior BJP leader.
Earlier last month, caught in the midst of a series of raids by the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax department against officers in his government, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel alleged that Central agencies were pressuring people to “take his name” and implicate him. With elections in his state less than six months away, Baghel said that the charges had no ground, but expressed confidence that the allegations would have no impact on the polls.
The Assembly polls are due in Chhattisgarh for the 90-member Assembly around November this year. In the current Assembly, the strength of the ruling Congress is 71, BJP has 14 seats and the rest belong to the BSP and Jogi Congress (JCCJ).
Congress dare
The Congress has listed 51 state govt schemes for the BJP. “The BJP should review and clarify if there is any trace of the programmes launched by the Centre among these 51 schemes of the Congress government,” said Sushil Anand Shukla, Congress media cell secretary.