MP state executive meet: BJP sets target to win 200 seats in upcoming Assembly polls

Bhopal, Jan 24 (PTI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set a target to win 200 out of the 230 seats in the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, due later this year.

Speaking at the BJP state executive meeting at the party office here on Tuesday, Madhya Pradesh BJP in-charge Muralidhar Rao said the party doesn't have much time left before facing the elections, due in December, and set a target of winning 200 seats by preparing a roadmap and implementing it in 200 days.

In the 2018 polls, the Congress had won 114 seats and the BJP 109. The Grand Old Party formed a coalition government with the outside support of the SP and BSP under the leadership of Kamal Nath. However, the government collapsed in March 2020 following the exit of a string of MLAs who joined the BJP.

On the occasion, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar praised the leadership of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his two predecessors from BJP, Uma Bharti and the late Babulal Gaur, for lifting the state from the "Bimaru" (laggard) category.

"Madhya Pradesh was considered a 'Bimaru' state till 2003. But after the BJP came to power under the leadership of Uma Bharti, Babulal Gaur (both former chief ministers) and current CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the state has marched forward rapidly on the path of development," Tomar said.

Chouhan became the chief minister for the first time in November 2005 and continues to be at the helm, barring a period of one year and three months (from December 2018 to March 2020) when the Kamal Nath-led government was in power after the Assembly elections.

Tomar said many countries are looking at India with a lot of hope because they trust the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Madhya Pradesh which was a 'Bimaru' state has not only marched rapidly on the path of development but has also proved itself by successfully organizing the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) and Global Investors Summit (GIS) in Indore recently," the BJP MP from Morena said.

The GIS attracted investment proposals worth Rs 15.40 lakh crore due to the efforts of CM Chouhan. The investments will create 29 lakh employment opportunities in the state, he said.

Guna royal and Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also praised the government for the successful organisation of PBD and GIS events and added Madhya Pradesh has always fulfilled whatever responsibilities entrusted to it by the Centre.

"More than 3.5 crore Indian-origin persons living abroad have changed the outlook of the world towards India. Heads of IT giants like Microsoft and Google and even the United Kingdom Prime Minister is of Indian origin. These Pravasi Bharatiyas have held the country's flag high," he added. PTI MAS NSK NSK