HT INTERVIEW Baghel govt has put a stop to development: Raman Singh

Raipur: For 15 years, Raman Singh was the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, losing that position when the Congress swept to power in 2018, relegating the BJP to a paltry 15 seats in a 90-member assembly. At that point, many in the state wrote Singh’s political epitaph, as the BJP hunted for new leaders. But with days to go for the assembly elections, Singh is very much back in the reckoning as a major force in the state, identifying candidates, and moulding the BJP campaign. He said in an interview that the Congress government under Bhupesh Baghel stopped all development work he started, normalised corruption in the state, and that when rulers become dacoits, there is no choice but to seek change. Edited excerpts:

Even though the BJP’s manifesto hasn’t come thus far, what is the primary issue you are taking to the people?

The issues we are taking to people right now are that the BJP developed Chhattisgarh in our 15 years in power. We contributed to the building of a new state-- we built 30000 kilometres of roads, opened schools, set up basic infrastructure such as power and telecom. But Bhupesh(Baghel) has completely put a stop to development. For the next five years, this will be our focus again. Because forget building new roads, his government has not had the capacity to paper over potholes. We call these decrepit roads dabra in Chhattisgarhi.

Are you saying the Baghel government did not spend on infrastructure at all?

Not just me, all of Chhattisgarh is saying this. In terms of infrastructure, he has no vision, and he has no planning. When there is no thought, how will he do anything? In his tenure, no new schools were opened. We opened 28000 new primary and higher schools. From 200, we went up to 450 colleges. Today they are only painting over old schools and passing them off as new.

The Congress stance is that they have focused a great deal on the rural sector which has benefitted the state; the price they give for rice procurement, building gauthan(cowsheds) and other such.

But they have finished off village roads, and all development in these same villages have stopped. Nothing happens if you only have a slogan “Narwa Gharwa Gurwa Bari(water, cows, compost, and fields). Of the 8000 gauthans, there are not even eight that really exist. There is no feed, no water-- go anywhere in your car and see. In the gauthans, you will not even find the footprints of cows, that is what is shameful. They have spent Rs1300 crore on this. These are bogus policies. And even they have stopped talking about them.

The Congress has used the word OBC a great deal over the past five years; they have an OBC Chief Minister, he is a Chhattisgarhiya Chief Minister. You were Chief Minister for 15 years, and people use you as an example that OBC politics is ineffective in the state.

Look, whether a Chief Minister is an OBC, SC, ST, general, backward, doesn’t matter. The person must be able to work on development. Only then will they be remembered. Nobody will be remembered on the basis of caste.

What is your reading of the state’s performance on tackling Maoists?

They have left work just where we had left it. We recruited 70000 police personnel, gave them modern equipment; there is a Jungle Warfare College that was set up. Police stations worth a crore each were made. A young force was built to take on the Naxals, and there was a web of roads that penetrated deep inside, whether it is Sukma, Bijapur, Dantewada or Konta. We liberated Surguja, and it was the turn of Bastar. But that will now happen in our next term.

There have been signs of a leadership struggle in the Congress for the past five years. Do you think that will play a part?

Look, as far as the Congress leadership is concerned, it has been established beyond doubt that for five years, Bhupesh left the leaders neglected. The Raja(TS Singhdeo), Tamradhwaj Sahu and Charandas Mahant were put in their place. There is pain in them. You will see the effects in the election.

But what of the BJP leadership situation. You have been Chief Minister for 15 years but there is little clarity. Is the state unit working under you now?

Whether it is 2003, 2008 or 2018, BJP never projected Dr Raman Singh as Chief Minister. After the elections, it is decided by the legislative group. Even now there is collective leadershi; this will only be decided after the elections.

There was not a lot of communal politics in the state in the past, but that seems untrue this time, for both the Congress and the BJP. Is Hindutva now a factor in Chhattisgarh?

In five years, the Congress under Bhupesh Baghel has worked to turn Chhattisgarh’s politics in the wrong direction. There was never a sense of division in the state whether it is on caste or other things. In Kawardha there was a big incident, and curfew was imposed for fifteen days, things were bad. The saffron flag was trampled on. In Biranpur, Ishwar Sahu was killed. This environment, and the sanctuary to these elements, Bhupesh Baghel has given.

You have raised several issues on alleged Congress corruption; there are IT and ED cases? Is this a big campaign issue for you?

It is one of the first and last issues. Corruption has entered deep into the state, and isn’t just limited to coal, or excise or paddy. Chhattisgarh must be the only state where there is an auction for postings of SP’s and district collectors. The rates are fixed, and children in the state know this. There has been such a normalisation of corruption. It is dacoity how they are selling liquor. If the king becomes a dacoit, then there is no alternative to change.

But the Congress says who are you to be saying all this? There were allegations against you too.

What allegations? Nobody can allege anything in my 15 years. Just saying something means nothing. As far as the allegations that Bhupesh Baghel levels, those matters have gone to the High Court and the Supreme Court, and to this day, they have not been able to corner anyone from the BJP.

Finally, what is your assessment for these elections?

Here and now, I have a very clear assessment. This is with full confidence, and I am not being unrealistic. As I am roaming around, meeting people, 101 %, the BJP will form a full majority government in Chhattisgarh. No power can stop us.