Bhopal Diary

Cong’s Tiranga Yatras in all 52 districts 
While the ruling BJP is working day and night for the success of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign across MP, the opposition Congress has come out with a three-pronged initiative to mark the 75th anniversary of Independence. The party is organising Adivasi Samman Mahotsava, Tiranga Samman Mahotsava and carrying out Tiranga Yatras in all 52 districts (with special focus on tribal belts) from Aug. 9-15. The initiative which was launched from Patalpani (Indore) by state party chief Kamal Nath is seeing similar initiatives in other parts by other leaders, including Digvijaya Singh, Vivek Tankha, Arun Yadav, Kantilal Bhuria and Suresh Pachouri.

Old graft case haunts new Bhopal mayor
Just a day after taking oath as the Bhopal mayor, BJP leader Malti Rai has got a notice from the divisional commissioner in a case pertaining to corruption in construction of cement concrete roads in Bhopal’s MP Nagar area in 2005. A total of 39 municipal councillors of that time, including Rai, were found involved in the case of corruption worth Rs 85 lakh. The then Lokayukta had recommended their disqualification and recovery of the amount from them, but the case remained shut  since then. Now the notice to Rai has prompted Congress to demand that she quit the post. Congress has also said the notice to her is the fallout of internal rift in BJP.

Poll debacle in some seats irks BJP cadre 
The ruling BJP has claimed victory in the district as well as Janpad panchayat polls in over 80% districts. However, in some districts, where the BJP lost, the cadre has blamed party leaders, including ministers, for sabotaging their poll prospects. In Dindori, the losing candidate Jyoti Dhurve (wife of ex-MP minister Omprakash Dhurve) has blamed Union minister Faggan Singh Kulaste for the loss. In Harda, workers have blamed Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel for the debacle in three Janpad panchayats, while some in Damoh have alleged role of MP minister Gopal Bhargava and ex-minister Jayant Malaiya in the loss in panchayat head polls.

Anuraag Singh
Our correspondent in Madhya Pradesh

singhanuraag.jaurno@gmail.com