Covid lockdown delayed to bring down Congress govt in MP: Jairam Ramesh

Ahead of the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls scheduled later this month, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Sunday claimed that the Centre's decision to enforce lockdown in view of Covid-19 in 2020 was delayed to bring down the Kamal Nath-led government.

The Kamal Nath-led government collapsed in March 2020 after several MLAs of his party resigned, paving the way for the return of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.

"In 2020, lockdown was not implemented at the right time during the Covid-19 pandemic. A 10-day period was given to ensure that our government in MP falls. This was a conspiracy. There is no dearth of traitors," the Congress general secretary said.

Highlighting the six guarantees of the Congress party in Karnataka, Jairam Ramesh said, like the party has fulfilled its guarantees in Karnataka, similarly it will also fulfil its 12 guarantees in Madhya Pradesh for the upcoming elections.

"The Congress announced six 'guarantees' in Karnataka and has fulfilled them. It has announced 12 guarantees in Madhya Pradesh for the upcoming elections and will fulfil them also. These include an LPG cylinder for Rs 500, Rs 1,500 per month for women and a farm loan waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh," he said.

"The first 100 units of electricity will also be given free of cost and the electricity bills for up to 200 units of consumption will be reduced to half," the Congress leader added.

When asked about the alleged rift in the opposition's INDIA bloc, the Congress general secretary said that the alliance is for the Lok Sabha polls, adding that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has announced to strengthen the alliance after the state assembly elections.

"The INDIA bloc has been formed for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has announced to strengthen the alliance after the state assembly elections," Ramesh said.

This comes after the strained partners in the INDIA bloc have been at loggerheads following the breakdown in seat-sharing talks for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls.

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "Perhaps, I was mistaken in thinking that the Opposition alliance was for the upcoming state elections as well. However, it seems that Congress does not want to fight as an ally in these elections. As far as our party (SP) is concerned, I am confident that the people of Madhya Pradesh will support us and we will win more seats than we did the last time."

Also taking a swipe at the Congress over its promise of a caste census in several poll-bound states, the SP chief, "It is the Congress that put obstacles to holding a caste-based census. They were the ones who created hindrances in the implementation of the recommendations of the Mandal Commission and for them to talk about caste census now is laughable. Even the BJP, which has always stood against reservations, is talking about it now."

SP and Congress are partners in the Opposition bloc -- the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

Elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held in two phases, with the first phase of polling for 20 seats scheduled for November 7 and the remaining 70 seats to go for polling on November 17.

Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on November 17, Mizoram on November 7, Rajasthan on November 25 and Telangana on November 30.

The counting of votes is scheduled for December 3.