BJP’s tribal outreach in MP continues, Amit Shah to hand over cheques to tendu patta collectors

The minister will inaugurate the Forest Produce Collectors Convention (Van Samiti Sammelan) in the city’s Jambori Maidan and begin the distribution of benefits worth Rs 67 crore, for 2020, to 18 lakh tendu patta collectors and distribute over Rs 55 crore to forest dwellers. At the event, Shah will hand over cheques to more than 10 tendu patta collectors. The tendu patta is the biggest source of livelihood for Adivasis in the state.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan welcomed Shah at the airport from where he went to inaugurate the All India Police Science Congress. Then, he headed to Chouhan’s home to have lunch and is scheduled to Jambhori Maidan after that. To welcome Shah, the BJP has put up posters across the city with his photo along with those of tribal leaders.

Last September, Shah distributed over five lakh LPG connections under the Ujjwala Yojana to Adivasis in Jabalpur’s Vindhya region and renamed Chhindwara University after tribal freedom fighters Shanker Shah and Raghunath Shah who participated in the 1857 mutiny against the British East India Company. The following month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Janjati Gaurav Diwas celebrations and renamed Habibganj railway station after the erstwhile tribal queen of Bhopal, Rani Kamlapati.

This was the beginning of the BJP’s efforts to re-establish itself among the community after losing several tribal seats in the closely contested 2018 elections. The BJP managed to win 16 of the 47 constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities in the polls, down from 31 ST seats it won in 2013. Of the 230 Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, 47 are reserved for STs and 35 for Scheduled Caste. The state has 1.53 crore Adivasis and more than 45 lakh tendu patta collectors.

Meanwhile, after attending the Van Samiti Sammelan, Shah is scheduled to meet party leaders and office-bearers at the BJP’s state headquarters in the evening.