Tikamgarh: The Congress has made mass migration of people, triggered by the water crisis in parched Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, its key poll plank to corner the BJP in the ensuing polls in the region.
However, the BJP appears to be banking on a perceived undercurrent in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to wither any storm in the election.
“Our party aided by a Modi wave will see through elections in all the four LS seats in Bundelkhand in this election,” a BJP spokesman said.
The Congress has made the alleged large-scale corruption in the implementation of the Rs 3,800-crore Bundelkhand package, which envisaged establishment of water harvesting structures to mitigate drought problem in the poverty-stricken belt, during the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan government a major poll issue to put the BJP on a backfoot.
The drought-prone region, comprising seven districts, has witnessed crop failure in the last three years, triggering mass migration of people to other states in search of work.
Around 40 rivers in the region had started drying up in the month of November itself, leading to acute drinking water crisis in the region.
“The sight of women walking as far as five kilometres to fetch water is very common in Bundelkhand villages in summer,” social activist Sanjay Rathore from Tikamgarh said.
“The Bundelkhand package, sanctioned during the previous UPA government, could have solved the drought problem in the region permanently. But, corruption in implementation of the project, exposed by an official probe, has rendered it useless,” MP Pradesh Congress Committee secretary Pavan Guwara said.
Three Lok Sabha constituencies under Bundelkhand — Tikamgarh, Khajuraho and Damoh — are going to polls in the fifth phase on May 6 along with four other seats in the state — Satna, Rewa,Hosangabad and Betul.
The other LS seat in Bundelkhand — Sagar — is going to polls on May 12
Majority of 3,000 water-scarce villages, identified by the government, are from Bundelkhand. Bundelkhand is considered a strong BJP bastion. The party had won all four LS seats in the region in last three elections.
