Madhya Pradesh: Battling on several fronts

Shivraj Singh Chouhan's call for prohibition rekindles interest in the politics of the state

Madhya Pradesh has been in the news, though it was noticed only when Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s declaration that he favours phased, and eventually total, prohibition in the state, set off a huge controversy.

Those who monitor state finances say Madhya Pradesh just cannot afford a hole in its finances and argue that the move would be a setback for tourism. Most observers see this as preparation for Assembly elections due at the end of 2018. 

Chouhan’s detractors, like Kailash Vijayavargiya, general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, immediately came out with disclaimers: The CM did not really mean