MP polls: INDIA alliance stuck in Congress quagmire, says Shivraj Chouhan

'When nobody in the INDIA alliance trusts Congress, how can people in Madhya Pradesh believe in that party?' asked Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday alleged that Congress has turned into a “daldal” (quagmire) and the INDIA alliance has stuck in it.

Chouhan’s comments come against the backdrop of a spat between Congress leader Kamal Nath and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav over the failed electoral tie-up in Madhya Pradesh.

A day before, Yadav alleged that Congress had stopped the caste census and implementation of the Mandal Commission report in the past.

"Yadav had termed Congress a “chalu party” [cunning party] which “cheats” people and said the SP committed a mistake by relying on it," Chouhan said.

“When nobody [in the opposition bloc] trusts Congress, how can people in Madhya Pradesh believe in that party?” he asked.

Slamming MP Congress president Kamal Nath, Chouhan asked the former to “clarify” his age.

“Yadav had yesterday remarked on how an 80-year-old man will recognise someone. He [Nath] had told former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in a programme that he is 72 years old. Nath must clarify his real age,” Chouhan said.

He then hit back at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for questioning the contribution of the BJP government to the welfare of farmers.

“The prime minister and the chief minister [referring to himself] are paying ‘Samman Nidhi’ to cultivators and have made arrangements for irrigating their land. [Crop] loans are provided to tillers at zero per cent interest rate. What did the government led by your party [Congress] do for farmers when it was in power? They didn’t even waive farm loans,” he said.

Chouhan further alleged that Priyanka had made a “false statement” that the BJP government had provided “only 21” jobs in Madhya Pradesh, which he said was akin to opening “a shop of lies”.

“You should not have lied so much. I only distributed 50,000 appointment letters in Madhya Pradesh,” Chouhan added.