Resounding Victory: How the 'Modi Ki Guarantee' Slogan Swept the Chhattisgarh Election

Conquering existing poll and the claim made by the Congress, BJP pulled off a stunning victory in Chhattisgarh, riding the Modi magic to win 54 out of 90 assembly seats. On the other hand, the excessive pride of Bhupesh Baghel government was stunned by the final score; 9 of the 12 ministers in his cabinet lost.

One of the primary reasons for the rise in the BJP tally from 15 to 54 seats was Ishwar Sahu, the BJP candidate from the Saaja constituency. He is the father of a youth killed by a Muslim mob in a riot and a labor by profession. He defeated one of the powerful minister and veteran politicians, Ravindra Choubey, by 5196 votes. Along with this case, Congress has been alienated with allegations of corruption ahead of elections. The BJP cited the multiple alleged scams involving the chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, made headlines. Notable of them are the Liquor scam, coal scam, CGPSC scam, Gobar scam, and Mahadev betting scam.

Baghel, who seemed to have everything going for him, suffered a heavy blow from a last-minute weapon of the BJP, the Mahadev betting app scam. The allegation strengthened the BJP's campaign against Baghel on corruption issues. BJP's virulent campaign against Baghel, which was based on corruption during his rule, did not seem to have the desired traction. That was a good reason why most saw Baghel as the likely winner. Nevertheless, it seems a last-minute blow to Baghel. Days before the first phase of elections on November 7, the ED claimed a link between the Mahadev betting app case. Also, the BJP's campaign hinged on the issue of alleged corruption in his government, especially the CGPSC selection scam.

Another reason that Congress lost to the BJP in Chhattisgarh Assembly Election was the "Mahtaari Vandan Yojana". The party proposed Rs.12,000 for married women voters as an annual allowance, a scheme announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the state.

The Congress exhibited a laid-back approach, notably in its delayed response to the BJP's promise of a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 for every married woman. It took a full nine days for the state leadership to rouse and decide to align with this pledge. Despite continuous efforts from Congress candidates and leaders urging the Chief Minister to match the offer to avoid election losses, Baghel announced an allowance of Rs 1,250 for all women, regardless of marital status or age, just four days before the voting.

Congress also failed to keep the promises made through its manifesto for 2018 election. The idea to promote traditional practices of animal husbandry, water conservation, and waste management, propagated through slogan 'Garuva, Narwa, Ghuruwa, Baari, remained a jumlaa, and no concrete success could be achieved throughout the tenure. Chhattisgarh had been known for the involvement of its womens' self-helping groups. The Congress government snatched the work allotment from them and opened it for contract-based business. The Liquor-ban was one of Congress's attention-seeking promises in its 2018 manifesto. Instead of banning liquor, home delivery services for liquor were started. Such decisions increased anger among the women folks against the Congress government.

Reversing the trend, the BJP made a clean sweep in the Church-affected tribal belt, winning all 14 seats that the Congress had secured in the previous polls as the ruling party faced a total rout in the tribal-dominated Sarguja region of Chhattisgarh. After its humiliating defeat in the previous elections, BJP leaders and RSS cadres were reportedly active in the tribal and rural belt, raising issues of alleged religious conversion that had triggered conflicts in Narayanpur and neighboring areas in the past. Due to this religious conversion, the tribals expressed dissatisfaction, causing a significant setback for the Congress party. In the 2018 elections, Congress had secured a three-fourths majority with the contribution of 14 seats in the Sarguja region. However, this time, the grand old party had to concede all 14 seats as it failed to secure any.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have been visiting the Raipur district frequently over the past six months. In the last two months leading up to the elections, these prominent leaders have visited here more than ten times, conducted rallies, and engaged with Chhattisgarh workers to revitalize the BJP. It was also an additional factor contributing to the victory.

BJP's poll slogan 'Modi ki guarantee' was at the Centre of the party's campaign in all three states- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. People placed their faith in this slogan, resulting in victories in all three states.

Article by

Dr. Yogesh Vaishnaw

Media Professor, Chhattisgarh