Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s son Jaivardhan might feel it is a ‘cakewalk’ to win polls from his family bastion here, but this did not deter his wife from joining him in the hectic campaign trail and that, too, on her birthday on Saturday.
BETTER HALF
Sreejamya, five years younger to her 32-year-old MLA husband, accompanied Jaivardhan at the hustings after offering prayers at the family Hanuman temple at their residence at the Raghogarh fort and then proceeded on a joint campaign trail while cutting cakes with locals and celebrating with them her birthday.
HUM SAATH-SAATH HAIN
“I thought it would be better for me to ask her to accompany me on the campaign today rather than get hauled up for not being with her even on her birthday,” Jaivardhan quipped when asked about her first day at the hustings with him for the November 28 Madhya Pradesh polls. “She has a great connect with the electorate in Raghogarh and she has already toured the area many times before, without me.”
ALL IN THE PARIVAR
Carrying her two-and-a-half year old son Sahasrajai Singh, the daughter-in-law of Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, strikes an instant cord with women.
MUBARAK HO
Sreejamya cut a two-storey cake that had birthday good wishes written for her in the name she is popularly know as– ‘yuvraani sahiba’ and ‘hukum’. The venue was decorated with balloons, ribbons and villagers from nearby hamlets were invited for the event with the band party playing ‘dhols’ in the background.
DULHAN WOHI JO…
Wearing a red saree and slippers, she interacts with the women folk, seeking to know their problems, details about their families and children as she ensures that no elderly woman touches her feet.
Eyeing a return to power, Madhya Pradesh’s longest-serving Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday was as usual busy with his hectic campaigning schedule. It ws an important day as the BJP had announced its manifesto earlier in the day.
SLO-GUNEERING
“Jab Tak Rahega Diggi (former Congress CM Digvijay Singh) tab Tak jalegi dibbi,” Chouhan said during his campaign trail on Saturday, referring to the Congress rule till 2003 and alleging that the people felt at that time that they would have to manage with kerosene lamps as long as Digvijay Singh was in power.
MANIFESTO SPEAK
“The scheme announced to benefit small and marginal farmers will prove to be a game changer. Unlike loan waiver scheme announced by the Congress, the BJP’s scheme will give the farmers right to live with dignity.”
GHAR KA KHANA
Chouhan had a neatly packed home-cooked lunch and also shared the same with fellow passengers. The chief minister, who remains in campaign mode 24×7, read points of the speech to be given and took a quick nap to give rest to his throat. Soon after, he woke up to ask the pilot how much time was left to reach the next destination. After having tea on board, Chouhan explained why it was important to issue a separate manifesto for women.
Anti-incumbency
When asked about anti-incumbency against his government, Chouhan dismissed such reports and said his government has done a good job on the developmental front and the high voting per cent will definitely be in his party’s favour this time also. In the 2013 polls, Madhya Pradesh recorded a poll turnout of 72 per cent and this time the Election Commission has set a target to take it to 80 per cent.
SEAT EXPECTATION
“BJP has set a target of 200 plus and we will form the government for a record fourth time in a row.”
POLL NAMA
Ticket distribution by the BJP disappointed those who expected a large-scale fall in the numbers of sitting MLAs. Just over 40 sitting MLAs were dropped and, in 15 to 20 cases, family members of these MLAs were accommodated. However, as a plan, it hasn’t worked out to the extent it should have. After the last date for withdrawal of nominations, nearly 50 rebel candidates from the BJP remained in the fray
