Can Kamal Nath's tribal agenda win Jhabua for Cong?

Bhopal: Chief minister Kamal Nath’s tribal agenda is not just a move to secure a victory in the upcoming Jhabua assembly by-poll. Though it could be one side of the story, sources in the Congress party said the chief minister’s Friday announcements is part of a long-term plan to retain and regain its traditional vote-bank which had diverted to vote for the BJP in 2003, 2008 and 2013 assembly elections.

In 2018 assembly polls, Congress won 30 of the total 47 tribal reserved seats and formed government with 26% tribal MLAs.

Though the party was routed in the Lok Sabha elections winning only Chhindwara and a total of just 19 assembly seats throughout the state, yet most of these where Congress won were tribal scheduled areas.

International Day for Indigenous Peoples is celebrated throughout the world but is the first time that a holiday has been declared in the 89 tribal development blocks of the state. Chief minister Kamal Nath with one announcement waived loans of 1.5 crore tribals residing in the scheduled areas and promised ATM card facilities with Rs 10,000 withdrawal benefit. He also announced gifts of rice and wheat for birth and death in tribal families, upgradation of high-schools for community students and renovation of tribal Gods, Goddesses and the places of worship.

Jhabua tribal reserved seat goes for by-poll in November and would be a litmus test for both ruling Congress and Opposition BJP. Gaining one more seat would take the Congress to 115 in the state assembly, just one short of absolute majority. For the BJP, retaining Jhabua would give them 109 seats in the assembly and a massive blow to the Kamal Nath government. But question is, in this crucial contest will chief minister’s tribal day announcements give the Congress an advantage?

BJP candidates and retired government engineer GS Damor won the seat in November assembly elections defeating Dr Vikrant Bhuria of the Congress. Damor was again fielded by the BJP from Ratlam constituency in the Lok Sabha elections and this time he defeated Dr Vikrant Bhuria’s father and former Union minister of state Kantilal Bhuria. As Damor proceeded towards Parliament, Jhabua assembly seat fell vacant.