With his State’s Assembly election around the corner, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel speaks to The Hindu about the investigations in corruption cases against him, his government’s Ramayana festival, and the implications of the Karnataka Assembly election results.
The Chhattisgarh Assembly election is due in six months. Are you returning as Chief Minister?
Congress is returning. It is up to the party leadership on who they deem fit for the post. But I can say with complete confidence that the Congress will win a comfortable majority for the second time.
According to various reports, the tribal community is disenchanted with the Congress government. Meanwhile, Arvind Netam’s Sarva Adivasi Samaj has also announced its decision to contest the Assembly elections, which is expected to eat into Congress’ vote share...
Arvind Netam was in Congress, where the party gave him the opportunity to serve as a member of Parliament and also as a minister. He later shifted to BSP and then joined BJP, before returning to Congress and now he is again experimenting. People have lost count of the number of times he has switched his political allegiances. Their [Sarva Adivasi Samaj] strength was tested during the recent bypolls and they failed to make a dent in the Congress’ vote share. Mr. Netam is working at the behest of the BJP, a fact that the tribal voters know very well.
Why is the Congress insisting on a caste census? Why do we need it?
The caste census is essential to assess which community or caste group has not got the benefits of reservation that has been extended to the group as a whole. This will help in identifying the vulnerable groups that need more assistance and a helping hand from the government. This data will enable the government to draw up informed policy decisions. The BJP’s electoral successes are entirely dependent on instigating the voter by playing up religious differences. They fear that once the caste census data is out, they will not be able to corral the voters under the larger and all-encompassing Hindutva umbrella.
For the last few months, your government has been in the news for various corruption cases being investigated by the central agencies and now fingers are being pointed at you and your family as well, especially your son. How do you defend yourself?
I am the only target. It is not about finding the wrongdoing or charging the guilty. They have been laying the ground since 2020. They are forcing people to implicate me and my son. They are coercing witnesses by force and also blackmailing them to name us. Things have come to such a head that the ED [Enforcement Directorate] officials have shifted along with their families to Raipur. They [BJP] want to target me because I am a farmer, because I belong to a backward caste. They claim that the coal levy scam is worth ₹500 crore and the excise scam is worth ₹2000 crore. My question is, how many accused have they arrested so far?
But how do you counter the narrative that these investigations create about your government being corrupt?
My government is transferring cash directly to the farmers, labourers and owners of small enterprises as part of our economic assistance programme. My predecessor, the Raman Singh government, used to take a commission for every welfare scheme they delivered, whether they were distributing cycles or chappals. The Chhattisgarh voters clearly understand that the Centre is troubling Bhupesh Baghel because he is working for them.
Next month, your government is organising a three-day Ramayana festival. Why are you borrowing from the BJP playbook of Hindutva politics?
The Ramayana is part of the Chhattisgarhi culture; it is read in every house and every village holds recital competitions. This is Lord Rama’s maternal house; his mother was born here. All that we are doing is preserving and promoting our culture.
So, you are claiming there is no Hindu angle to this?
There is no political angle to this.
How do you see the Congress’ victory in Karnataka?
First, we won Himachal Pradesh, which is a Hindu-majority state. Then we displaced the BJP government in Karnataka where once again they played the bugle of Hindutva during the campaign. In both States, the BJP had to face a humiliating defeat. They were talking about Congress-mukt Bharat and the voters delivered a BJP-mukt India. The BJP is going to lose in the upcoming Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan.
