Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath today said the state had become apradh pradesh (crime state) in the 18-year rule of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in the state at the end of the year.
"Madhya Pradesh has turned into a scam state and apradh pradesh. These are not my figures (related to crime) but those available on the internet. The maximum number of crimes took place under the current dispensation. The Chief Minister is unable to give a record of his 18-year-old government," Nath told reporters at Pati in tribal-dominated Barwani district.
"Now, after 18 years and just five months before polls, he (Chouhan) has started remembering behne (sisters), employees, contractual staff, farmers to divert people's attention from the truth," Nath said in a swipe at the state government's Ladli Behna Yojana and some other populist announcements.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party should keep in mind that, in 2018, he got just five months (to prepare) before the Assembly polls, whereas now he has got enough time to work (to win the 2023 polls), Mr Nath added.
"Last time it was Kamal Nath's 2018 model, but this time it is Kamal Nath's 2023 model in action," he remarked.
Slamming the BJP government over unemployment, Mr Nath said there are one crore persons without jobs in the state but only 45 lakh have registered (with employment exchanges etc) while the rest have lost faith in the process.
Mr Nath, a former Union minister of commerce and industry, said he has good relations with several industrialists but when they are asked to invest in MP, they speak of the state being mired in corruption.
Speaking about local issues, Mr Nath said Barwani was among the most backward districts in the state and is lagging in terms of road infrastructure, health and education.
The BJP is planning to fool the people again (in the 2023 Assembly polls) but the voters will not fall for their promises, he claimed.
Asked about the Jai Adivasi Yuva Sangthan, Mr Nath said its members were wise and were concerned about the future. Their DNA is of the Congress itself and the outfit, like many others, is in touch with him, Mr Nath added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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