Chouhan claims BJP fulfilled 50 pc poll promises in MP

Bhopal, Nov 29 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today claimed that 50 per cent of the 371 promises, made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the 2003 assembly election, had been fulfilled and almost every promise would be honoured before the 2008 hustings.

''The next poll in this state will be contested solely on the issues of development and public welfare. My government is toiling while keeping Madhya Pradesh's all-round development in focus and I am confident that this state will rank among developed ones within two years,'' Mr Chouhan told UNI here in an interview marking the completion of his first year in office.

Pointing out that he was not undertaking development work with the 2008 election in view, the chief minister added that if the work is positive the masses will themselves shower praise and that would form the very basis for the party's poll victory.

Responding to a question, Mr Chouhan said, ''In the context of that election I do not view the presence of former chief minister Uma Bharti's Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS) as a challenge. In a poll, there are several factors such as caste equations and the anti-establishment sentiment that influence the voting pattern. But they will not affect the BJP's chances.'' The Chief Minister indicated that even on earlier occasions, certain political outfits such as the Tiwari Congress and Vikas Congress entered the electoral fray but did not achieve anything worthwhile.

Referring to the recently-concluded bypolls to the Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency and Malehra assembly constituency, Mr Chouhan pointed out that the BJP retained them despite the presence of the BJS.

''The results prove that the BJP is in the electorate's heart and parties such as the BJS make no difference to the poll perspective,'' he claimed.

Reacting to reports about a few of the BJP's sister organisations allegedly taking the law into their own hands, the chief minister maintained that the law was taking its own course in Madhya Pradesh and nobody would be permitted to play with it.

''The rule of law will be maintained no matter what the situation. In Dhar district's Bhojshala case, the government fulfilled its responsibility well and kept the peace. The law and order situation is satisfactory. Thirty-two reward-carrying dacoits were neutralised,'' Mr Chouhan added.

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