Bhupesh Baghel chalks out intense pre-poll campaign in Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh CM blends religious appeal with welfare schemes to retain State

The decimation of the Congress in the recent Assembly polls has prompted Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to get into election mode early.

From inaugurating the renovated 8th century Shivrinarayan temple on Sunday to planning a door-to-door campaign for feedback on the Congress government flagship scheme of Rajiv Gandhi Nyay Yojana, Mr. Baghel is trying to be battle ready almost 18 months ahead of Assembly elections in the State

In fact, the feedback could come as early as April 16 when the results of a high profile byelection to the Khairagarh Assembly seat is declared.

Ahead of Tuesday's polling, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had fielded heavyweights like Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Prahlad Patel and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh to campaign for the Assembly seat. "Wherever Bhupesh Baghel went — Assam, U.P., Punjab — the Congress lost heavily," Mr. Chouhan said at an election rally.

Trying to counter such aggressive attempts by the BJP to wrest back the State that it ruled for an uninterrupted 15 years, Mr. Baghel seems to have taken a leaf out of his political rivals by mixing his politics with religious symbolism, focussing on traditional practices and welfare schemes.

Coinciding with Ram Navami, Mr. Baghel inaugurated the 8th century temple that is part of the Ram Van Gaman tourism circuit charting the path said to have been taken by Lord Ram during his 14-years in exile. The Baghel government had announced the circuit as part of a project to conserve and beautify the cultural heritage, traditions and relics of the Ramayana period in Chhattisgarh.

In the first phase of this project, nine sites associated with Lord Ram’s journey are being developed. These are Sitamarhi Harchauka (Korea district), Ramgarh (Sarguja), Shivrinarayan (Janjgir-Champa), Turturiya (Balodabazar), Chandkuri (Raipur), Rajim (Gariaband), Sihawa Saptarishi Ashram (Dhamtari), Jagdalpur (Bastar) and Ramaram (Sukma).