We didn’t go to him, he came to us: Bhupesh Baghel on Prashant Kishor snub 

He decided to knock at our doors because the country needs Congress today, says Chhattisgarh CM

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel shares his thoughts on his upcoming tour of the State, the emphasis on Lord Ram-centric tourism, the Prashant Kishor fiasco and the Congress getting elbowed out from the position of lead Opposition party.

I wouldn’t see it as a political campaign, elections are still far away. During the COVID-19 pandemic, one was not able to travel around so much. As a Chief Minister, it is important for me to get feedback from the public on our government’s welfare policies, assess its implementation and figure out the gaps, if any. Also when the Chief Minister of the State hits the road, the administration and the governance straightens up and becomes vigilant. This is my effort to meet all stakeholders, social workers, beneficiaries and district-level administrators.

How is this soft Hindutva? This is part of Chhattisgarh’s culture. We are the only State in the country to have a temple dedicated to Lord Ram’s mother Kaushalaya, some 25 km away from Raipur, in Chand Khuri. Chhattisgarh is believed to be her parents’ home. The effort in developing this circuit is to inform and acquaint the country and the world about the rich history and traditions of our State.

Why do we need to compete with that? Hinduism is not any one party’s monopoly. Why should Chhattisgarh be only known for its jungles, mines and minerals? There is so much more to us and we are only putting that out on India’s map.

He came to us, we didn’t go to him. Mr. Kishor wanted to show us a presentation, which we all saw. And I believe he decided to knock at our doors because the country needs the Congress today. We heard out his suggestions. It is up to him to decide to join the party or not and it is up to the party to consider his recommendations or not. There is nothing more to it.

In Punjab, even during the 2017 Assembly elections, there was mahaul [atmosphere] in favour of the AAP. But, obviously, they couldn’t convert it into a victory. This time, they did. Neither the AAP nor the TMC, which returned to power in West Bengal, can replace the Congress as the primary Opposition force in the country.

Regional parties have been around for many decades. Look at Tamil Nadu, when was the last time a national party formed the government there? Or the Biju Janata Dal, which has won the Assembly elections five consecutive times. Or the JD(U), despite the fact that Nitish Kumar is the longest-serving Chief Minister of the State, has he managed to win any other State? Were any of these parties able to expand beyond the confines of their States? The Congress, on the other hand, has a pan-India presence.