Kamal Nath govt uses perception tricks to win votes

Bhopal: Nearly a month after he assumed office, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath was yet to fix focus of his government, thanks to fast approaching Lok Sabha elections.

Caught in a quagmire over delivering on the lofty poll promises made by his party, Congress, owing to the empty coffer his government has inherited, the chief minister appeared to have taken refuge in perception management to retain sway over people till the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, barely five months away, instead of setting priorities for his government, if style of function of his three-week-old government was any indication.

Playing soft Hindutva and adopting dilly-dallying tactics to give shape to key poll promises of his party particularly farm loan waiver and pension to elderly peasants, under the pretext of carrying out exercises to implement them were believed to be part of his government’s perception management plan to retain support of voters, a senior minister in his government disclosed to this newspaper on condition of anonymity.

The decision by his government to continue the practice of holding mass “Surya Namaskar” in government-run schools on January 12 to commemorate birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand being observed as National Youth Day in the country, has taken everyone including the ruling Congress circle by surprise.

Incidentally, Congress had earlier opposed tooth and nail the decision by the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state to organize mass “Surya Namaskar” in the government-run schools on the day describing it an attempt by BJP to saffronise education.

In fact, Mr Nath has not only prevailed upon a powerful section of the ruling party who demanded to discontinue the practice but also ensured that his ministers led the programme in some schools to project Congress as pro-Hindu, thus nipping in bud any move by the BJP to paint Congress as anti-majority.

Barely a couple of weeks ago, Mr Nath had made a u-turn on his decision to discontinue the practice of singing “Vande Mataram” at the state secretariat on the first day of every month, introduced by the previous BJP government in the state.

The chief minister’s had gone back on his decision on it in the wake of BJP making it an issue.

“The chief minister is under pressure by Opposition BJP to deliver on party’s poll promises particularly the farm loan waiver assurance. He knows very well that BJP would retain its base among the farmers in the forthcoming LS elections if he failed to get the crop loan waiver scheme off the ground by then”, a senior Congress leader here said.

BJP had made its intention clear when former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan lambasted the chief minister for earmarking a paltry Rs 5000 crore in the second supplementary budget to implement loan waiver scheme, contending that Congress government was backing off on its promise.

“The state exchequer required funds to the tune of at least Rs 45,000- Rs 50,000 crore to write off crop loans of the farmers in the state. But, hardly an allocation of Rs 5,000 crore has been made in the second supplementary budget for it. It is a clear indication that the Kamal Nath government was not in a position to waive loans of farmers”, Mr Chouhan said.

“Today is January 11. Already 22 days have passed since the chief minister announced to write off farm loans. But, his decision was yet to get off the ground”, he added.

The chief minister’s reply to concern of his predecessor on implementation of loan waiver scheme at the ground has rather indicated his “helplessness”.

“January 11 will go. February 11 will go and March 11 will go. It does not matter. Mr Chouhan need not worry about loan waiver scheme getting off the ground. We will implement all our promises”, the chief minister quipped.

Mr Nath has, meanwhile, broached the idea of implementing his “Chhindwara model of development” to ensure agriculture development and rapid industrialization in the state apparently to keep hopes of the unemployed youths on their employment, another promise made in election manifesto of Congress, alive till the ensuing LS elections.

Mr Nath had earlier cited developmental works he had undertaken in his parliamentary constituency of Chhindwara in the last three decades, christening it “Chhndwara model of development”.

“The forthcoming LS elections seem to have denied the chief minister to fix focus of his government so far. He faces the challenge of restoring faith of farmers, women and youths in his government and party by fulfilling promises made to them, till the coming LS elections.

Hence, he has taken resort to perception management to divert attention of people from key issues by playing soft Hindutva and floating lofty ideas such as Chhindwara model of development”,  a professor of sociology department in Barkhatullha University here observed.