Maintaining the momentum

in Bhopal

FRESH from its massive victory in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party is confident of its chances in the Lok Sabha elections. The issues the party raised mainly in the Assembly elections were the condition of roads, the shortage of power and the steep power tariffs. Although Chief Minister Uma Bharati promised to solve these problems within 100 days, it is too early to judge the performance of the government. Says Mahendra Tiwari, a shop owner in Biawra town in Rajgarh district: "Yes, we have power cuts for 12 hours a day, but things were no better when the Congress(I) was in power. Uma Bharati needs time to solve these problems."

The government's efforts to build new roads have already run into trouble. Contractors hired to repair roads rejected State Public Works Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya's condition that free repair services must be provided for the roads for three years from the date of their completion. The contractors refused to take responsibility for roads that were constructed during the tenure of the government led by Digvijay Singh.

In Bhopal, people believe that the Uma Bharati government has made efforts to fulfil its promises. Says Mahesh Prasad, an autorickshaw driver: "The roads have improved in the city since Uma Bharati came to power. Power cuts are less frequent and the government is planning to get Narmada water for the city." The State government has sought more funds from the Centre to revamp the power sector under the Accelerated Power Development Reform Programme (APDRP). Under this programme, the Madhya Pradesh government was entitled to Rs.587 crores to strengthen the State's electricity distribution network as per estimates drawn up three years ago. Following Uma Bharati's intervention, the Union Ministry of Power has recommended that the Finance Ministry release Rs.256 crores to the State. The government has also approved a Rs.300-crore plan to bring Narmada water to Bhopal by 2007.

Of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the State, the BJP holds 21 and the Congress(I) eight. BJP leaders in the State say they are aiming at `Mission 29'. Says party spokesperson Uma Shankar Gupta: "Our internal reports say that we will win all the 29 seats. Not a single Congress(I) leader is willing to contest these elections. They now have a jumbo-sized committee but no one to fight these elections." However, there have been tensions within the BJP and party workers say that they are unhappy with Uma Bharati's style of functioning and her preoccupation with religious activities. There is intense speculation both within and outside the party that Uma Bharati may be asked to step down as Chief Minister after the Lok Sabha elections. The man tipped to replace her is Kaptan Singh Solanki, the party's organising secretary and a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

Although the Congress(I) is in disarray in Madhya Pradesh with many senior leaders, including Arjun Singh and Digvijay Singh, not contesting, the party has finalised its list of candidates and fielded strong contestants in many constituencies. Former Union Minister Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia, son of the late Madhavrao Scindia, are contesting from Chhindwara and Guna respectively. The BJP has put up Prahlad Patel, Union Minister of State for Coal, against Kamal Nath but it will be difficult to defeat the latter.

The Congress(I) will find it hard to replace Digvijay Singh, who is coordinating the party's efforts in Assam and Orissa. Although Pradesh Congress Committee leader Subhash Yadav is technically the head of the party, he has been sidelined and most comparisons in the media are still between Uma Bharati and Digvijay Singh.

So far the BJP has managed to turn the focus of the campaign away from issues such as the rising prices of essential commodities to Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin and the Prime Minister's planks of good governance and stability. Says Uma Shankar Gupta, "We need a person who understands the country and who will be able to take everyone along and run a coalition government." Congress(I) spokesperson Manak Agarwal counters, "The BJP and its leaders are targeting a woman because they are threatened by the emergence of Sonia. If there is a clash of personalities, it is Sonia's which will prevail as she is from the Gandhi family while Vajpayee helped the British during the Independence movement." BJP candidates have not hesitated in attacking Sonia and the Congress(I) has been equally quick to defend her and question the achievements of the Vajpayee government. However, much to the party's discomfiture, Sonia versus Vajpayee has become the central theme of the campaign.