Madhya Pradesh polls: Kamal Nath plays manjiras, sings bhajans as Congress looks to beat Shivraj Singh Chouhan at his own game

Bhopal: Setting the tone for the election campaign in Madhya Pradesh, the state Congress committee chief Kamal Nath played manjira – a pair of clash cymbals, which make high-pitched percussion sounds – at a temple as he recited kirtan, a trait chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seems to have mastered over the last 13 years in Madhya Pradesh, as he cultivated an image of being a man of the masses.

In the past one decade, Shivraj has played manjira many times while singing bhajans. Like Shivraj, Nath also sat cross-legged in a temple playing the clash cymbals as priests and Congressmen surrounding him, chanted the ‘Sita-Ram’ mantra.

His forehead smeared with chandan tika, Nath also went around the famous Mahakal temple in Ujjain and Pitambara Peeth in Datia. He also performed puja of Lord Hanuman’s weapon, the gadaa.

The gadaa and manjira symbolise the language of electioneering in the coming days in this Hindi heartland, political pundits said. “The temple hopping by Nath had its desired result, creating ripples in the BJP,” a senior Congress leader said.

Mounting an attack on the BJP, Nath said: “BJP does not have a monopoly over temples. Congress had chalked out its strategy (for the state) before I took over.” “The people of the state are distressed and I have prayed for the welfare of the state,” Nath added.

BJP spokesman Rajneesh Agrawal said, “Congress is known for doing politics of tika (symbolising Hindus) and topi (Muslims).”

As Congress sounds the poll bugle, for the moment, the BJP appears to be on the book foot. Shivraj, who had reviewed the marathon six-hour long and 20-kilometre road show by Nath in Bhopal on Tuesday, was in Vidisha the next day when Nath was visiting temples there.

In yet another event of his brand of social engineering, Shivraj blessed two orphan girls in Vidisha as he attended their wedding. Immediately after his return to Bhopal, he reportedly asked his bureaucrats to promote his ‘humane face’ in the media in the coming days.

In a belated move, the government is also reportedly looking for information on Nath, which can be used against him during the election campaign. The Congress, on the other hand, has already termed Shivraj’s Narmada yatra and the drive to plant 6.5 crore saplings a “scam”.

Talking to reporters during his temple visits on Wednesday, Nath said: “The question is not that 6.5 crore saplings have survived or not but the bigger question is the huge public money syphoned off in the plantation drive.”

Unfazed by the criticism, Shivraj said: “… some people are in the habit of criticising everything. A huge plantation campaign will again be held in July this year.”

Attacking the BJP’s claim of farmer-welfare work and loans to the youth for self-employment, the Congress’ new slogan in Madhya Pradesh is, “Kisan bina daam ke, yuva bina kaam ke, janata pooche Narendra Modi-Shivraj _kis kaam ke? (_Farmers without money, youth without job, people ask what is the use of Modi and Shivraj?)”

Congress’ election rhyme and Nath’s temple-hopping have made it clear: The party’s going to pay Shivraj in the same coin.