Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh has been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that Congress comes back to power after 15 years. He told in Bhopal that the BJP has not been able to bring out even a single charge against the state government under his charge and the construction of the Ram Temple is not a commitment for BJP but a political opportunity to exploit Hindu sentiment.
On asking about the inclusion of ban on RSS Shakhas on government premises Digvijay Singh says, This is an absolutely correct decision. We are not scared of RSS. RSS is a political organisation. Now, even the Centre doesn’t allow such activities on government premises and no other state, except Madhya Pradesh, does that.
If the RSS or BJP is so agitated by our manifesto promise, then they should ask PM Narendra Modi to withdraw the order and allow RSS Shakhas in the Army, BSF and para-military forces. This notion that RSS has becomes active only after our manifesto promise is baseless. Is this election between Shivraj Chauhan and Digvijaya Singh?
This is not between people. This is between two ideologies. Media these days doesn’t talk about ideology but has become focused on personalities. Even the BJP has lost its ideology. In 2014, it was Modi Sarkar and not BJP government. Here, BJP campaign is ‘Hamara Neta Shivraj’. BJP has not criticised me for any policy. They have not been able to level a single corruption charge against me. The only thing they talk about is electricity.
After the division of Chhattisgarh, all power plants went to the newly-created state. We faced problems for some time. Under me, MP was the first state to start toll roads. That time, BJP criticised me for that. Today, almost all roads in MP are toll roads. I have challenged Shivraj Chauhan to have an open debate over 10 years of my government versus 15 years of his. BJP says your posters are missing as the Congress thinks that they may damage their chances. The copyright of my face is with me and not with any party.
I have asked our party not to put my pictures anywhere. BJP forgets that even as CM my face never appeared on ads for 10 years. Digvijay Singh says all 230 candidates are mine. There is no CM face for the party as compared to Shivraj Chauhan. BJP has a discredited faces of Shivraj and Modi. We don’t believe in declaring a CM candidate as it takes away the right of elected MLAs to choose their leader. Though Rebel elements are a worry for the party in some parts of the state. This time, rebel candidates from the BJP are four times higher than the Congress.
I did convince some of them and am still doing that. It won’t affect our winning chances. People of Madhya Pradesh have decided to go for Badlav and, come December 11, you will see the results. BJP has never fought an election post-1990 without the Mandir issue. For BJP, construction of the Ram Temple is a political opportunity to exploit Hindu sentiment says Digvijay Singh.