With the Assembly election around the corner, various political contradictions have begun to emerge in Chhattisgarh, which is India’s most mineral-rich State but continues to be mired in abject poverty.
The electoral discourse is dominated by allegations and counter-allegations of secret deals between Maoists and local leaders of the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); by the contentious issues that surround Gautam Adani’s mining business in the State; the rights of tribal people, who constitute 30 per cent of the population; and by the issue of religious conversions.
The Congress government’s recent approach towards minorities has raised serious concern, with political observers pointing to a departure from the party’s 2018 election promises. To some, the Congress’ shift towards the Right is baffling.
In Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s constituency, Patan, which is adjacent to Raipur, the capital, cows are everywhere—from roads, farms, and pastures to political campaigns. The government touts its Godhan Nyay Yojana introduced in July 2020—to promote organic farming, generate rural and urban employment, and promote cow rearing and protection—as a success story. The BJP calls it a “huge scam”, bigger even than Bihar’s fodder scam.
This story was originally published in frontline.thehindu.com. Read the full story here .