The BJP's 'Ladli Behna' scheme seems to be paying off for the party in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections with the BJp surpassing the half-way mark, leading in 133 seats and Shivraj Singh Chouhan leading in early trends on December 3.
"I had said BJP will get a comfortable majority and we are getting it," Chouhan said. The saffron squad is ruling Madhya Pradesh since 2003 – except for a 15-month period – and Chouhan first took over as chief minister in November 2005.
Known as an undefeated force in the Budhni Assembly seat, the chief minister has consistently garnered 60 percent or more votes since 2006. Despite his prolonged absence from Budhni after nomination, this election diverges as the BJP avoids strongly projecting Chouhan as the CM face.
The 'Ladli Behna' scheme seems to have struck a chord with the rural votebank. Chief Minister Chouhan introduced the scheme on Narmada Jayanti and it officially began on March 5, 2023. Open to women of all castes and religions in the state, it provides eligible recipients with a monthly financial aid of Rs 1,000.
Among other candidates from Budhni are Azad Samaj Party’s Dinesh Azad, Right to Recall Party’s Dharmendra Singh Panwar, Gondwana Gantantra Party’s Prahalad Chaurasia, Samajwadi Party’s Mahamandleswar Swami Vairagyanand, and independent candidates Abdul Rashed, Chotelal, Pramnarayan, Hemraj Pethari, Vijay Nandan, and Brijmohan Dhurve.
The counting in the 2023 Assembly polls falls on the 39th anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy. While paying tributes to the victims at BMHRC today, Chouhan said, "Even today, when I recall that intervening night of December 2-3, I shiver. I pay my respects to all those who lost their lives, with a resolve that such a tragedy doesn't happen again."
"We had said 'Madhya Pradesh ke mann mein Modi aur Modi ke mann mein Madhya Pradesh' (Modi is in the mind of Madhya Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh is in Modi's mind). People blessed this drive... I am proud that with the work of booth-level workers of the BJP, we are fulfilling the resolution of 51 percent voting in every booth. I am proud of BJP workers, people have blessed PM Modi," state BJP president VD Sharma said.
"He (PM Modi) held public rallies here and appealed to the people and that touched people's hearts. These trends are a result of that. A double-engine government properly implemented the schemes of the central government and the schemes that were formed here also touched the people's hearts," Chouhan said.
Speaking to News18, VD Sharma, MP BJP Chief, said, "Glad that the party is getting over 51 percent vote share in the state elections; commend party cadre for the work."
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