- By Imran Zafar
- Sun, 06 Aug 2023 12:54 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is preparing for the upcoming assembly elections in the state with a focus on wooing the youth and promoting the Chhattisgarhi identity and culture. He is also trying to win the support of the farmers, paddy growers and government employees with various schemes and policies.
CM Baghel, who is popular among the youth as ‘Kaka’ (uncle), recently organised meetings with youths in two major districts of the state including Raipur and Bilaspur. The event was named ‘Bhet Mulakat Yuvao Saath’ (meeting with youth) and the objective was to connect with the young voters in the state. He has also been projecting himself as a patron and promoter of Chhattisgarh’s culture and festivals such as Hareli, Teej and Karma.
In an interview with Nai Duniya CM Bhupesh Baghel was questioned whether the Chhattisgarhi identity will become an issue in the elections or not, to which he replied that the Congress party in the state will fight the upcoming election on the Chhattisgarhi identity and local issues. He further said “We should all take pride in our culture. We should not give our leadership to those who feel ashamed of our dialect and our festivals. Our identity lies in being Chhattisgarhi and we are very proud of it.’’
CM Baghel has also taken away the issue of Lord Ram and cow dynasty from the BJP by announcing the construction of a Ram temple in Raipur and launching a cow dung procurement scheme. On asking whether these recent developments were political stunts to tackle the BJP’s influence, Baghel said “We have done this work to preserve the memories of our Shri Ram’s visit to our state. There is no political intention behind this. We are proud of our culture and our connection to Lord Ram. He is our nephew, as Chhattisgarh is his birthplace."
The Congress leader stated that Lord Ram spent about 10 years of his exile in Chhattisgarh. He also accused BJP of politicising the temple construction in Ayodhya and said that BJP exploited the religious sentiments of the people.
The Congress government in the state has also provided dearness allowance to the government employees at par with the Centre, to appease them. Baghel’s slogans of ‘Kaka Abhi Zinda Hai’ (Uncle is still alive) and ‘Bhupesh Hai To Bharosa Hai’ (If there is Bhupesh, there is trust) have become widely popular in the state. The stronghold of the Congress party among local issues and the youths prompted them to fight the upcoming assembly election on the issue of Chhattisgarhi identity and culture.