Although the election dates have not been made public, Modi is anticipated to serve as the campaign’s spokesperson in both states. In both Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, political campaigns have already begun.
The political parties are already in the campaigning phase even though the Election Commission has not yet disclosed the voting schedule for either Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh. On September 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit both of the states that will soon have elections and announce a number of development initiatives.
The PM will reportedly lay the cornerstone for many projects totaling more than Rs 50,700 crore, including the Petrochemical Complex at the Bina Refinery in the MP’s Bina town. Ten new industrial projects will also be officially opened throughout the state. The PM will unveil $6,350 billion worth of rail sector projects in Chhattisgarh after Madhya Pradesh.
In both states, the BJP may run candidates with Modi as its spokesperson in the forthcoming assembly elections, according to media sources. The BJP has apparently decided against running for CM’s name, even in the event of MP, where the incumbent Shivraj Singh Chouhan has influence.
The Congress’ social initiatives in Chhattisgarh could present obstacles for the BJP, despite the party’s leadership’s hopes that the party will be able to capitalize on the various welfare programs implemented by the Chouhan administration.
In the run-up to elections in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, the Congress promised to provide financial aid to women, free energy, and financial support to educated unemployed youth. These pledges helped the party win control of these states.
Madhya Pradesh
In the state, there are 230 assembly seats. Shivraj Singh Chouhan has unquestionably led the ruling party in the last three assembly elections. Chouhan, however, has been denied permission to guide the party’s “Jan Ashirvad Yatra” across the state this year.
Both the Congress and the BJP in the state appear to be focusing their polling efforts on women voters. While the Congress promised the Nari Samman Yojana for Rs 1,500 per month, the state government announced the Ladli Behena plan to provide monthly income support of Rs 1,000 to women in the 23–60 age bracket.
The largest percentage of Scheduled Tribes (ST) people live in Madhya Pradesh (21% of the total population). According to The Print, 47 of the 230 seats in the state house are set aside for ST candidates. Home Minister Amit Shah launched a tribal outreach drive from Balaghat in July 2023 in an effort to win over tribal voters.
However, a recent incident in which a BJP politician urinated on a tribal man and the chief minister then washed the victim’s feet may have damaged the party’s reputation with the tribals.
According to political analyst Girija Shankar, managing the elections will be the key factor in the state’s future because there isn’t now a single pressing issue.
Chhattisgarh
In a novel tactic, the BJP categorizes the seats in Chhattisgarh, a state now governed by the Congress. The intention was to devote more funds to districts where the incumbent party had less support. The “A” seats are those that the BJP won in the 2018 elections, according to NDTV. The “B” seats are those where the BJP has experienced electoral success and failure. The 22 “C” and “D” seats pose the greatest challenge to the party. According to the report, seats that the BJP has lost twice in are labeled “C,” and those that it has never won are labeled “D.” Tribal people make up 31% of Chhattisgarh’s population, according to the 2011 census. Shah has requested that party leaders engage tribal members.
“In the state, the party is still falling behind. According to The Print, Shah reminded the state leaders that “there is a lot that needs to be done to win back tribal seats in the Bastar area and Surguja belt, especially where the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) has influence. He had given the BJP members a copy of an internal survey study that had found various gaps in the state party’s plan as well as some weak spots.
Bhupesh Baghel, the current chief minister, belongs to the OBC group. OBCs make up about 41% of the state’s population, while tribal people make up 30%. Another concern for the BJP is the Baghel government’s mild Hindutva stance.
