Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Mayoral candidates of both BJP and Congress filed their nomination papers on Friday.
BJP’s mayoral candidate Malti Rai filed her nomination after a public meeting at Bhavani Chowk and Congress candidate Vibha Patel went to the collectorate to file her nomination paper after a public meeting at the residence of senior party leader Suresh Pachouri.
Addressing a public meeting, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused state Congress president Kamal Nath of giving party tickets to candidates for certain considerations.
Chouhan said, “Lagta hai ki jo jam ke maal le kar supply kare usey hi ticket de do. Waah re Kamal Nath (It seems those who have amassed wealth and brought it were given tickets).” Chouhan was addressing a public rally at Bhavani Chowk in the city before BJP mayoral candidate Malti Rai left for filing nomination on Friday.
Chouhan said BJP had given ticket to daughter of “soil” as Malti Rai is down to earth. “So we are all party candidates from this point of view,” the CM added.
He said, once criterion was fixed in the BJP that no MLA would be given ticket to contest mayoral election, party leaders followed it strictly. Like, in the case of Bhopal BJP, MLA Krishna Gaur herself refused to contest polls and wanted someone to contest instead.
But in the Congress, he said, several MLAs and their kin were given party tickets. “It appears that there is no other leader in the Congress to contest the polls. It is an insult to party workers.”
He said the BJP happened to be the world’s largest party whose workers are dynamic and are taken care of by the party leadership.
In addition to CM, other senior leaders shared the dais at Bhavani Chowk.
Similarly, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Kamal Nath, senior leader Suresh Pachouri, former mayors Deepchand Yadav and Sunil Sood were also present on this occasion.
Earlier, in a different context, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that Congress leaders can get their own bungalows built, but they hardly think of building houses for the poor. BJP has done many development works in Bhopal. BJP and development are synonymous with each other, Congress is meant only for destruction. So BJP workers should pledge to ensure victory for Malti Rai, the CM added.
Chouhan said that during the Congress era, Bhopal used to have heaps of garbage, it smelt bad. The BJP made Bhopal a beautiful city. Our municipal corporation made it the second cleanest city in the country. The BJP government built many bridges in Bhopal like Savarkar Setu and Raja Bhoj Setu.
“We brought water from Narmada to Bhopal. Could Congress have done this“? How will a party which do not have any dignity left, quench the thirst of people, the CM added.
Chouhan said, “We want to make Bhopal a wonderful city. There should be an industrial hub, employment and business. Be it IT City or Hi-tech City.”
The CM said, “Apart from this, Bhopal will get Rs 1500 crore under Mission Nagaroday. Our government is ready to spend money for this, but that money will be put to proper use only if there is BJP mayor and councillors.”
State BJP president VD Sharma said, “Congress president and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath tells Congress workers that our concern is the workers of BJP, because they are the biggest strength of BJP.”
