Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tells SHASHIKANT TRIVEDI he will win this year’s Assembly elections
Your party came to power in 2004 by riding the anti-incumbency wave on the issues of ‘bijli, sadak and pani’ (power, roads and water). How do you see this year’s election?
Our party has performed excellently on the development issues which we had raised in 2004. We have fulfilled promises made to the public on all parameters; we have added considerable capacities in infrastructure, including in power and irrigation, and laid thousands of kilometres of roads. All my ministers and MLAs have performed satisfactorily during the last couple of years.
Then why did you drop a large number of sitting MLAs in these elections?
It was a party decision. The party has to distribute 230 tickets. There are people in the party who work with devotion for development of the state. They may or may not be MLAs. Such people should be given a chance (to contest). Our MLAs have accepted the decision of the party.
Does it mean you did not have any say in the ticket distribution process?
No, I do not mean to say that. What I want to say is I do not believe in rejecting people. I believe in taking everybody into confidence. Those who have been denied tickets are still with us, working with more devotion and sincerity.
However, there is a system in our party and we all have to stick to it. You have to give chances to those who are working in the field and have gained more experience to become more competent than MLAs. Why should not they be given a chance?
Most of them (MLAs) and their supporters unfurled the banner of mutiny against you and the party…
The dust settled when the process of filing nomination papers was over and the cam-paign began. The BJP is a party of people who believe in discipline. There may have been some mild resentment but nobody is rebellious in our party. All MLAs are with the party and I am satisfied with their performance and work during the last four years. My government has done exceptionally well on all fronts.
If your government performed excellently then why has the state capital been parched on account of a severe water crisis?
We are helpless if it does not rain. Madhya Pradesh has been facing drought-like conditions at regular intervals for the last several years. This year, the state received scanty rainfall. All our reservoirs are going dry …we cannot run our hydel power projects at full capacity or irrigate all farms.
Then how did you and your candidates face the voters?
We have not only worked on development issues but also successfully bridged various divides between different sections of the society. The BJP has acceptability across the state.
Media reports are predicting a hung Assembly with the ‘third front’ cornering a lion’s share of seats?
It is a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress. There is no factor like ‘third front’ and we will retain power with comfortable majority.
What were the main issues of your election campaign this time?
We have raised some important issues before the voters, prime among them being the central government’s apathy towards Madhya Pradesh. Our voters also cannot ignore the ever-ballooning inflation and the terrorism threat. Above all, we showcased our achievements on development.
How did you face voters on the corruption issue. Your ministers are facing charges of corruption….
These are baseless allegations.
But you have admitted on several occasions that there are flaws in the system…
I still admit it. There always remains room for improvement and my government is no exception.
Your government has harped on attracting huge industrial investments, but a number of projects are facing various hurdles and industries are turning away from Madhya Pradesh again?
It is not like that. Of the total Rs 3.40 lakh crore worth of MoUs we had signed with industry, projects worth Rs 88,000 crore are taking shape. This had never happened in the state’s history. The state has leaped forward due to better fiscal management.
The International Food Policy Report says Madhya Pradesh has the most severe level of hunger in India?
I don’t subscribe to what has been mentioned in the report. I do not know from where these reports originate and how people collect data. In fact, crit-ical malnutrition among children has been reduced from 5.5 per cent to 0.78 per cent during the last five years. We have performed better in removing poverty and hunger from the state.
Did you miss some target on development which you would like to achieve if you come back to power?
No, I am very happy and satisfied with my performance. I did my best. Let me put it like this: we have created additional 1.3 million hectare irrigation capacity, while the previous government created hardly 2.1 million hectare capacity during the last 60 years. We outdid previous governments in all fields, be it capacity addition in power, irrigation, roads or social sector. I need not narrate the data repeatedly. I want to maintain this pace for the benefit of the weaker sections of the society.
How will you translate your dreams into reality if the party appoints someone else as chief minister after the elections as it had happened earlier?
You will see me and my government performing with the same zeal after the elections. I am confident we are coming back to power comfortably.
