Opinion: Rahul Gandhi's special focus on Chhattisgarh, and the Baghel connect
Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh holds a special place for Rahul Gandhi. The former Congress president has described the Bhupesh Baghel government as a model for other party-ruled states on numerous occasions.
All eyes are on Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Chhattisgarh on September 2 to kick off the Congress party’s electoral campaign in the poll-bound state. Rahul will attend ‘Yuva Samvad’, a dialogue with the first-time voters numbering over four lakh.
Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh holds a special place for Rahul. The former Congress president has described the Bhupesh Baghel government as a model for other party-ruled states on numerous occasions.
Raipur hosted the 85th AICC plenary in 2022 while Baghel was asked to micromanage the assembly polls in Assam and Himachal Pradesh. Going by various opinion poll surveys, Congress is set to retain Chhattisgarh in the ensuing assembly polls.
Interestingly, the November-December 2023 assembly polls of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram are seeing a curious and informal division of work among the Congress top brass.
Priyanka Gandhi seems inclined to work and chip in Madhya Pradesh, while Rahul’s focus is on Chhattisgarh. Telangana is increasingly seen as AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s turf, while Rajasthan is largely left to a beleaguered chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who is finding himself isolated in Congress’ Delhi durbar.
Congress insiders say Rahul also wishes to express his solidarity with Baghel whose personal staff and close political aides have been under the Enforcement Directorate (ED) glare.
The ED, on August 23, had conducted searches of the premises of Baghel’s political adviser Vinod Verma and two Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) in Raipur and Durg districts.
Significantly, when Baghel visited 24, Akbar Road, New Delhi to oppose ED raids in Chhattisgarh, the AICC’s media department functionaries were conspicuous by their absence. Rahul, informed sources claim, was unhappy over the lack of solidarity with Baghel.
The big question doing the rounds at Congress headquarters in New Delhi and Raipur is whether, on September 2, Rahul will make some big-time announcement in Raipur, particularly when the countdown for assembly polls has begun and there is constant speculation about simultaneous assembly and parliamentary polls.
Prior to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul was in Raipur where he had, for the first time, coined the slogan of “chowkidar chor hai.” The catchy slogan did not help the grand old party make electoral gains. Post polls, Rahul had gone on record to express his disappointment that senior party leaders had not made full use of the “chowkidar chor hai” campaign.
Rahul had also launched his pet NYAY Yojana in Chhattisgarh that provides for a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2500 on paddy procurement directly into their account. Last year, Rahul was invited to unveil another NYAY Yojana called 'Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumiheen Kisan Mazdoor Yojana'.
Under the scheme, Rs 6,000 annual financial assistance is given to the landless agricultural labourers and those who make a living from traditional occupations. Rahul had also laid the foundation stone of 'Amar Jawan Jyoti' in Raipur in honour of the martyrs who died for the country in various wars and conflicts.
Rahul and the Congress chose Raipur as a destination for Amar Jawan Jyoti after the Narendra Modi government, on January 21, 2022, merged the older flame with the newer one at the National War Memorial, New Delhi.
Rahul’s bond with Chhattisgarh is proving to be a case of mutual affection between him and Baghel. Rahul has been supporting Baghel to the hilt. When Baghel and TS Singh Deo's differences began to hurt the Congress in Chhattisgarh, Rahul intervened to persuade Singh Deo to accept the post of deputy chief minister.
Baghel, constantly showcasing himself as a Nehru-Gandhi family loyalist, recently made a pitch for Rahul as prime minister. In an interview with news agency PTI, Baghel said he would want Rahul Gandhi to be “the INDIA alliance’s prime ministerial face.”
“As a Congressman, I feel Rahul Gandhi should be the prime ministerial face," Baghel said in response to a question on whether he would want Rahul Gandhi to be the face of the INDIA alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
(Views expressed in this opinion piece are that of the author.)
