Mahakal Lok Corridor Is Part of BJP’s Polarisation Politics

Shravan Garg, senior editor, says people in MP are not very happy with the state of affairs in State due to lack of jobs, rising prices and rampant corruption but there seems no alternative also to the present regime given a weak opposition

I have explored the newly inaugurated Mahakal Lok Corridor from a different point of view. I find it astonishing how any government, so much hard pressed for funds, could spend a whopping ₹800 crore on a religious project like this. I see this project as part of the larger phenomenon called ‘Hindu awakening’, or more precisely part of continuing polarisation politics. It is appears to be a state government project and we do not know from where the money has come for such an excessive spending.

In religious terms, Mahakal is a holy shrine that attracts footfalls nationally and internationally. Its religious significance comes from the Puranas. Mahakal does have importance in MP as Kashi matters to UP but it’s importance lies much greater outside MP. So one can expect a boost to local tourism, businesses and the state’s economy. But we need to ask why anything like this did not show up in the last 15 years. Why now?

Recalling that Shivraj Singh was allegedly one of the contenders and a favourite of Lal Krishna Advani for the post of PM, there was a time when Modi saw in him as a silent competitor. For the post of chief minister in MP, there were a quite a few local competitors to him including Kailash Vijayvargiya, who lost favour after the Bengal elections and Narottam Mishra who in public perception does not enjoy popular support from across the state. In the present scenario, Jyotiraditya Scindia seems to be strong contender to replace Shivraj Singh. Scindia has a strong base in Chambal, Gwalior and Malwa. He is a very smart politician who has been strengthening his relations with one and all in his new party.

On the governance front, people in MP are not very happy with government’s performance. Growing unemployment, inflation and rampant corruption are major areas of concern. Minorities too are not very happy. There is already an anti-incumbency and assembly elections are due the next year. So things are not as easy for Shivraj and the BJP.

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Whatever polarisation could be done among Hindus, it has already been achieved. No more is possible. One crucial part is that the Hindus of MP are more or less similar to those in Bihar and not as polarised as in UP and Gujarat. They are largely secular. They are indeed religious and wear the Hindu identity but do not essentially belong to BJP.

Elections to the legislative assemblies of MP, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat are all very crucial for the BJP. With Ujjain show, Shivraj may be wanting to exhibit his own clout. There is a possibility that if BJP wins in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, Shivraj may get replaced by Scindia or any other suitable person. So this Mahakal corridor may also be seen as a ploy by Shivraj to please Modi.

Congress on the other hand is marred with internal crises and also there is no place for a third party here. Kamalnath may be active in Congress but he no longer enjoys the kind of confidence he enjoyed in the past. And the recent success of the BJP in local body elections is also an indicator that it may win the next assembly elections despite anti-incumbency.

As told to Abhishek Srivastava