BJP brought Madhya Pradesh to the brink of ruin, says Randeep Surjewala

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its second list of 39 candidates for Madhya Pradesh, the Congress criticised the move, stating that 18 years of BJP rule has brought the state to the brink of ruin. This sentiment, Congress argued, is shared by both the people of the state and the central leadership of the BJP.

In a post on X in Hindi, Congress Madhya Pradesh in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala remarked, "The reality of BJP's second list in Madhya Pradesh is grim. In 18 years, the BJP government has pushed Madhya Pradesh to the brink. Both the state's populace and the BJP's central leadership are aware of this. Hence, Amit Shah distanced himself 15 days ago, and even yesterday, Modi did the same from the name and work of Shivraj."

Surjewala continued, "On the other hand, Jyotiraditya Scindia was also disillusioned due to his Lok Sabha defeat and the successive losses in local bodies in his region. Both leaders have now decided to eliminate their competitors. Shivraj and Scindia have communicated to the central leadership that the state now requires the guidance of Narendra Tomar, Prahlad Patel, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Kailash Vijayvargiya, and Rakesh Singh."

"In truth, Shivraj and Scindia's aim is clear: 'we will sink and take you with us.' Kailash Vijayvargiya also mentioned in an interview that the central leadership surprised them by issuing the ticket. Following these ticket announcements, Shivraj and Scindia are saying, 'Neither bamboo nor flute will remain.' In essence, they are acknowledging the loss of power and predicting the end of these leaders' political existence," he elaborated.
 

Surjewala concluded, "The BJP is clearly haunted by the fear of the Congress. Witness the apprehensions stemming from the personalities of Congress leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Kamal Nath. Despite having a Chief Minister, three Union Ministers, seven MPs and a National General Secretary, the BJP will still not be able to retain power. Congress is coming, first in Madhya Pradesh and then across the nation."

His remarks arrived after the incumbent BJP surprised many by fielding three Union ministers and four other sitting MPs for the upcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. The second list of 39 candidates was released on Monday, just hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Bhopal. Included in the list is the name of BJP's National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who will be running from Indore-1.

2023 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly election 

Madhya Pradesh is among the five states slated to hold assembly elections later this year, with 230 seats up for grabs. It is the only state where the BJP currently holds power.

In the 2018 assembly elections, Congress emerged as the single largest party with 114 seats, while BJP secured 109 seats. However, in 2020, the Congress government lost its majority due to the resignations of some Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), enabling the BJP to form a government in the state, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan reinstated as the Chief Minister.