CM Shivraj To Launch 'Ladli Behna Yojna' Ahead Of Priyanka's Rally In Jabalpur

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will release the first installment of Rs 1000 to women under the “Ladli Behna Yojna” scheme in Jabalpur today, which aims to woo the 38 per cent of women voters.

New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh's cultural capital and gateway to the tribal-dominated Mahakoshal region, Jabalpur is becoming a key battleground for the upcoming Assembly elections. Both the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party and the opposition Congress are launching their poll campaigns with big promises of freebies from the city. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will release the first installment of Rs 1000 to women under the “Ladli Behna Yojna” scheme in the city today, which aims to woo the 38 per cent of women voters and reduce the anti-incumbency against his nearly two-decade rule.

The scheme is also seen as a crucial strategy by the BJP's central leadership to change peoples' mindset. According to government data, around 1.25 crore women aged between 23 and 60 years will receive their first monthly financial benefit under the scheme.

Sources say that the state BJP leadership will conduct an internal survey later to assess the impact of the scheme on the anti-incumbency factor. On June 12, Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will start the party`s poll campaign from Jabalpur with a roadshow and public meeting, after performing the Narmada poojan on the river bank.

Gateway To The Tribal Dominated Mahakoshal Region

Jabalpur`s political importance lies in its location as the Gateway of Mahakoshal region, which is dominated by Gond and Baiga tribes. The region has 38 Assembly seats, including seven in Chhindwara district, which is a stronghold of state Congress chief Kamal Nath. In 2018 Assembly polls, the Congress won 24 seats in Mahakoshal, while the BJP got 13 and one seat went to a Congress rebel. In Chhindwara, all seven seats were won by Kamal Nath`s party in 2018, while in Jabalpur district (where BJP had won six out of eight seats in 2013), both parties won four seats each in 2018.

The BJP also faced setbacks in Mahakoshal region in July 2022 mayoral polls. The Congress won Jabalpur (after 18 years) and Chhindwara, while a BJP rebel defeated its official candidate in Katni.The Congress hopes that launching its poll campaign from Jabalpur with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will help it retain Mahakoshal and boost its chances of coming back to power. It will also send a positive signal to another poll-bound state, Chhattisgarh, which shares its border with Mahakoshal region of MP.

Former Chief Minister and state Congress chief Kamal Nath said during a visit to Jabalpur a few days ago, “We are going to kick start the poll campaign from Jabalpur on June 12. I believe that people of Madhya Pradesh will take the state toward development to secure the future of the new generation. I believe that people will support the Congress in the upcoming Assembly polls.”

Jabalpur is also significant for the BJP, as it is where party's national president J.P. Nadda and state party chief VD Sharmas in-laws reside. The city is also considered as Sharmas political karmabhoomi` (workplace).