Chhattisgarh polls: Parties promise better road, rail connectivity, farmers' security, jobs as state gears up for phase one

With issues such as Naxalism, intrastate connectivity and farmers’ distress plaguing poll-bound Chhattisgarh, political parties are ramping up their claims and promises to garner votes. Both the BJP and Congress on Friday sent in the big guns, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, to address rallies in Jagdalpur.

The ruling BJP, Congress as well as the alliance between Ajit Jogi’s Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) have made it clear that the Naxal-ridden ‘Red Zone’, including Bastar and Sukma districts, holds the key to forming the next government in Chhattisgarh. The promises made by all the parties centre around development in this area.

Ahead of the elections — scheduled to be held in two phases in Chhattisgarh on 12 and 20 November — the unrelenting waves of Naxalism in the state have particularly stood out, with at least three attacks making headlines within weeks.

On 30 October, security forces were ambushed   in Dantewada’s Aranpur village , which was followed by another attack  in Balrampur the same day.  The first attack claimed the life of a Doordarshan cameraman. In another attack on 8 November, Naxals killed five, including two Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, near Bacheli   in Dantewada district .

Modi, while speaking at a rally in the state on Friday,   addressed the growing unrest in Chhattisgarh , saying that the Congress government had not done enough to develop the Maoist hotbeds in the state. His sentiments were underscored by BJP chief Amit Shah, as well.

The prime minister claimed that the Congress was, in fact, working with the Naxals and was disrupting the government’s crackdown on them. “Will you forgive such people? These people will not win Chhattisgarh. I appeal to you to ensure that the BJP wins all seats in the Bastar region. If anyone else wins, it will be a blot on Bastar’s dreams,” he said.

The BJP is also heavily relying on promises of better rail and road connectivity in the state to appease voters. “In the past four years, more than 9,000 villages have been connected by roads. Not just that, but by spending approximately Rs 35,000 crore, the work for a 3,000-kilometre National Highway Project was started by the BJP government,” the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, the Congress president’s rhetoric steered clear of Naxals. Instead, he hit out at the prime minister , as well as Chief Minister Raman Singh,  over unemployment and farmers’ woes in Chhattisgarh. “The Raman Singh government has been in Chhattisgarh for the past 15 years, while the Modi government has been at the Centre for the past 4.5 years. Both promised jobs to the youth and security for farmers, but failed to deliver,” Rahul said, while addressing a gathering at the chief minister’s Rajnandgaon constituency.

Rahul also addressed problems in Naxal-affected Bastar, saying: “Bastar is rich in natural resources, but local people don’t have access to their benefits. The benefits are reaching a few industrialist friends of Modi ji and the Chhattisgarh chief minister.”

He has promised that if the Congress is voted to power in Chhattisgarh, it will write off the debts of each farmer within 10 days of taking over. “Raman Singh and Modi snatched bonuses from farmers. The Congress government will not only ensure that farmers get their bonus, but also give bonuses to those farmers who the BJP government failed to help in the last two years."

Rahul also promised ti fill the vacancies for staff and lecturers at state-run educational institutes.

Furthermore, the JCC-BSP-CPI alliance has also made some large promises in its manifesto , including 100 percent reservation in government jobs; 90 percent reservation in other jobs; stipends for unemployed graduates and post-graduates; depositing Rs 1 lakh for every daughter born in the state in a joint account she will hold and can claim upon turning 18; titles for houses and land to rightful owners; halving GST and other taxes on fuel; health insurance up to Rs 7 lakh for state residents; and also setting up super-specialty hospitals in every district.

The JCC has also promised complete prohibition, except in scheduled areas, which have a large tribal community). In an interview to the   Hindustan Times , Jogi had said that with time, his government — if elected — would try to win over the tribal community as well and impose total prohibition.

It is apparent for all the three major players in Chhattisgarh that they have their work cut out for them if voted to power. With voters scared to venture out and cast their ballots amid threats of getting their inked fingers chopped off , the poll promises of all three contenders are just about progressive enough to attract a voter turnout larger than the 77 percent that voted in the 2013 election.