Ram mandir to govt jobs: Issues that may dominate Lok Sabha elections

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantees, Ram temple in Ayodhya, and Congress' demand for a caste census would be among major issues in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh during the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh will be held in four phases on April 19, April 26, May 7 and May 13. Counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Following are the key issues in the state for the Lok Sabha polls:

Narendra Modi: If the November 2023 state elections are any indicator, the prime minister would be the ruling party's biggest poll plank. It would highlight Modi ki guarantee (Modi's promises) such as free food grains for the poor, and the achievements of the Union government in the past ten years.

 

Ram temple: The BJP would take credit for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and attack the Congress for turning down the invite to the inauguration ceremony. Congress could try to blunt the criticism by pointing out that the lock of the earlier make-shift Ramlalla shrine at the disputed place was opened when Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister.

Hindutva: The BJP is expected to use the Hindutva card to consolidate the vote of the majority community. Ahead of the assembly polls, Hindu religious leaders held meetings aimed at mobilising the community. The Congress' strategy would be to peddle 'soft Hindutva' like it attempted during the assembly polls, according to senior journalist Rakesh Dixit.

Unemployment: Congress is likely to target the ruling party on the issue of lack of jobs. During his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Madhya Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi claimed that India's unemployment situation was worse than that of Pakistan.

Inflation: Congress will raise the issue of inflation, especially rising prices of essential commodities like milk and cooking gas.

GST: The opposition party has claimed that Goods and Services Tax has ruined small businesses and hit the poor hard by raising prices for the end- consumer.

Caste census and OBCs: Around half the population of Madhya Pradesh belongs to Other Backward Classes. Mohan Yadav is the fourth OBC chief minister of the BJP since 2003. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been claiming that a caste census would be a revolutionary step as it would show how OBCs, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have little or no presence in many sectors of the economy.

Women: The 'Ladli Behna' financial assistance scheme for women was seen as a game-changer for the BJP in the assembly polls. The party would also highlight the 33 per cent political reservation accorded to women and subsidised cooking gas cylinders, said state BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi.

MNREGA: Congress is reminding voters that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) was its brainchild, while claiming that job opportunities have shrunk under the Modi regime.

Farmers' issues: Congress has promised a legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price for crops. It is also seeking farm loan waiver up to Rs 1 lakh. The loan waiver promise had helped it win the 2018 assembly elections in MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
 

Bihar Lok Sabha election

The ruling NDA is locked in a straight battle, in Bihar, with the Mahagathbandhan' that it had trounced five years ago when at least two constituents of the BJP-led coalition were with the opposition alliance.

Besides relative lightweights Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha, the BJP has among its allies Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is past his prime but remains formidable. As of now, the BJP also enjoys the loyalty of squabbling factions of the now-extinct LJP, headed by late founder Ram Vilas Paswan's son Chirag and brother Pashupati Kumar Paras.

The Mahagathbandhan' is helmed by the Congress-RJD combine, which formed an alliance with the CPI(ML) Liberation ahead of assembly polls two-and-half years ago and the coalition made the seemingly surefooted NDA sweat it out.

The grand alliance would seek to draw inspiration from its better-than-expected performance in 2020 to tide over the dejection wrought by Nitish Kumar's abrupt return to NDA two months ago.

Polling in Bihar will be held in seven phases on April 19, 26, May 7, 13, 20, 25 and June 1, the Election Commission said on Saturday.

Elections are likely to be fought mainly on the following issues:

1. The Narendra Modi factor - The prime minister, who did not address any public meeting in Bihar until a few months before the 2014 elections, took the people by storm at the Hunkar Rally' of October 2013, when he held forth in the midst of bombs going off at the venue. His charisma, coupled with a nationalistic fervour will continue to be a decisive aspect

2. Nitish Kumar's NDA return - That the BJP agreed to a realignment with him as chief minister is ample proof that the JD(U) boss, whose party has never got a majority on its own, remains a force to reckon with. The party's performance in Lok Sabha polls would indicate how much of his frequent political somersaults have affected his standing among people

3. The legacy of Lalu Prasad - More than a decade after conviction in a fodder scam case disqualified him from contesting elections, the RJD supremo continues to have a larger-than-life presence. The BJP's alacrity in taking to the Modi ka Parivar' campaign, following Prasad's "Modi has no family" jibe, was proof that nobody takes the RJD supremo lightly, even if he says something in jest

4. Government Jobs - If there is one reason the RJD supremo's son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav has been able to come out of his father's shadow, it is the promise of "10 lakh sarkari naukri" he made ahead of the 2020 assembly polls, tried to fulfill it while serving as Nitish Kumar's deputy, and vows to take it to its logical conclusion if voted to power. In a state where any investment in the private sector is hard to come by, the assurance of government jobs will always catch votes

5. Special Status - A demand raised passionately by Nitish Kumar, the issue may become a stick to beat the NDA with by opponents

6. Ram Temple - Few believe when BJP leaders say Ayodhya is not an issue out of which they would like to reap electoral dividends. Recent references to Bihar being the land of Goddess Sita by the PM could have been an indication of what lies in store

7. Quotas - Reservations for deprived castes have been raised, a move for which both the NDA and Mahagathbandhan' claim credit. With Congress leader Rahul Gandhi making caste census a national issue, the Mandal versus Kamandal' narrative may be on display in the elections.

Arunachal polls

As Arunachal Pradesh gears up for its upcoming assembly elections, several pressing issues have come to the forefront, promising to shape the political landscape of the state.

Simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls will be held in the northeastern state on April 19.

From corruption scandals to territorial disputes, here's a look at the factors expected to influence electoral dynamics:

1. The Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) paper leak scam and recruitment irregularities in the state education department have sparked outrage and scrutiny.

2. The termination of 256 employees for producing forged appointment orders and discovery of ghost staffers drawing salaries without physical presence have raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability within the government.

3. The question paper leak case of assistant engineer (civil) exam conducted by the APPSC in 2022 has cast a shadow over the credibility of the state's recruitment process. The alleged suicide of an APPSC official and the demise of a whistleblower further intensified the controversy surrounding the scandal, prompting calls for a thorough investigation and accountability.

4. Both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress are expected to focus their campaigns on development agendas and electoral promises. While the BJP emphasises infrastructure and border area development as key issues, the Congress leverages corruption and scam allegations as its trump card to garner voter support.

5. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' saw promises of five guarantees to the youth and women of Arunachal Pradesh if the party returns to power. This underscores the opposition's efforts to mobilise support by addressing socio-economic concerns and promising inclusive governance.

Tripura polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to highlight the performance of the Narendra Modi government during the campaign for parliamentary elections in Tripura, while the opposition will bank on issues such as price rise and alleged corruption.

The northeastern state has two parliamentary constituencies, West Tripura and East Tripura, an ST reserved seat. Both are currently held by the ruling BJP.

Elections to the two Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held on April 19 and 26.

The state got due attention from the Centre as most of the welfare schemes were implemented in the state, a BJP leader said.

Over the last few years, the northeastern state also got several infrastructural projects such as broad gauge train services up to Sabroom, the opening of Matri setu in Sabroom, new airport terminal building, India-Bangladesh railway and water projects and six national highways, he said.

The BJP is all set to highlight these issues during their campaign trail.

The historic tripartite accord with the Tipra Motha for finding a lasting solution to the problem of indigenous people and resettlement of Bru refugees in the state will also be a talking point for the ruling party and its ally, the Tipra Motha.

The Tipra Motha will surely bank on two achievements, the Bru accord and the tripartite agreement during the campaign.

The opposition bloc, CPI(M) and Congress, will certainly try to raise people's issues like unemployment, price rise, alleged corruption and worsening law and order, and the "autocratic style" of the BJP-led NDA government during its campaign, a Left leader said.

They will also try to "expose" Tipra Motha's "opportunist stand" to grab power by misguiding the indigenous people in the name of achieving greater Tipraland, he said.

"The people of the state had hoped for a secular, pro-people and growth-oriented government in the 2023 assembly elections but it was thwarted by the Tipra Motha's opportunist stand which had ensured the BJP's narrow victory," former chief minister Manik Sarkar said during a rally on Thursday.