A lot hinges on Centre's charity

In a series of public meetings, Uma Bharti, BJP chief ministerial candidate, harped on just one theme""How Digvijay Singh had destroyed this beautiful state.

Her passionate appeal for development as the main issue stood in sharp contrast to her image of the saffron-clad sanyasin, more at ease with religious and emotive appeals.

As Bharti readies herself to be sworn in as the chief minister after the BJP's thumping victory in the polls, she is certain to be haunted by her own commitments to the electorate.

In Madhya Pradesh, there is an urgent need of electricity. Farmers alone need 900 Mw to irrigate their farms. If the power shortage persists, the rural economy will be ruined, giving way to despair and gloom. In such a scenario, the joyous mood of the new government would be short-lived.

Singh had made desperate attempts to buy power from the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) before the elections. But his attempts were spurned by the Centre on the pretext of non-payment of arrears. With Bharti in the saddle, the Centre is expected to relax the rules to enable the new government to supply power to rural areas.

Bharti also faces a challenging task of reducing the losses of the state electricity board and providing additional funds by way of subsidy to farmers. During the campaign, she promised to waive farm loan dues.

Bharti's list of worries will grow longer as the state appears to be financially bankrupt. Her promise of providing employment to all those who have lost government jobs may turn out to be a difficult commitment as a substantial section of government employees in rural areas has gone without salary for months on end.

Similarly, the promise of "rationalising professional tax", a tax imposed by the outgoing Digvijay Singh government to improve revenue, may be a vague commitment, but it has risen the expectation that it will be scrapped. But it will further deplete the revenue.

With the BJP gearing up for the Lok Sabha polls, Bharti's priority will be to improve the conditions of roads- an issue that cost Digvijay Singh dear. Bharti will bank on a considerate Centre to provide money on account of various central projects for construction of roads""national highways and state highways""to improve connectivity.

Madhya Pradesh

Most likely to do...

Will set up advisory councils

Will arrange to buy power from neighbours

Will induct several ministers from backward classes

Least likely to do...

Institute probes against Digvijay Singh

Disband panchayati raj initiatives of the last govt

Make any dramatic bureaucratic changes

First task : To figure out how to deal with the party old guards in the state tactfully