Madhya Pradesh BJP's fortress, Cong daydreaming of Assembly poll win: Shah

BJP president Amit Shah today mocked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and said that his party was "daydreaming" of winning the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls slated for later this year.

He said that the state was a "fortress" of the BJP where the party's government and organisation had stood their ground, claiming that his party would win in 2018 as well as 2023.

Hitting out at Gandhi, Shah said, "I heard the statement of Rahul baba that his party is going to form the government in Madhya Pradesh. I wanted to know on what basis his party is going to form the government."

He said,"The Congress is daydreaming about forming the government. Madhya Pradesh is a fortress of the BJP. Our government and the party organisation have firmly stood their ground in the state.".

The BJP chief said that since his party came to power at the Centre in 2014, it had gone on to form governments in 14 states.

"The Congress was talking about anti-incumbency in the state in 2013 but there was no such thing. The BJP will form the government (in MP) in 2018 and 2023 as well," he told a rally at the BHEL Dussehra Maidan here.

Exuding confidence about the continuation of this winning streak in Karnataka as well, Shah asked party workers to keep crackers ready for May 15, when results of the Assembly polls in the southern state would be announced.

Karnataka goes to the polls on May 12.

He also claimed that while the BJP represented the farmers, the poor, tribals and the downtrodden, the Congress had been relying on "raja maharajas", apparently referring to Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Singh, both belonging to erstwhile royal families.

"This is a fight with big people and corporate houses," Shah said.

Without taking the name newly appointed chief of the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress, Kamal Nath, he said that the Congress had made "a favourite of the corporate houses" its state president.

He did not also name Chhindwara and Guna Lok Sabha seats - won by former Union ministers Kamal Nath and Scindia respectively, while asking party workers to ensure that the BJP wins all the Assembly segments in these two seats.

"There are two areas where the BJP has been facing problems. The workers should ensure victory in every (Assembly) seat in these two areas (Lok Sabha seats)," he said.

He claimed the BJP win all 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state, besides a "bigger" win in the Assembly polls. Lauding the BJP government in the state, the party chief said that work done by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was an example in the country's history, as a BIMARU state had now become a developing state.

"BIMARU" is an acronym for Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, and used to describe the low levels of socio-economic development there.

He exhorted party workers to "foil attempts by the Congress to ramp up caste divisions".

Shah claimed that the Congress came to power to enjoy while the BJP formed governments to serve the people.

Today's gathering termed the "Pradesh Stariya Vistarit Baithak" (state-level extended meeting), was attended by over 5,000 party functionaries, the BJP said.

The chief minister, Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Thawarchand Gehlot and Dharmendra Pradhan also attended the meeting.