BJP counters Congress' 'bhooka-nanga' jibe with 'Main bhi Shivraj hoon' poll campaign

Countering Congress' 'Bhookha-nanga' jibe, BJP Madhya Pradesh has launched a 'Main bhi Shivraj hoon' (I too am Shivraj) campaign for the past four days. The campaign is a dead ringer of PM Modi's 'Main bhi Chowkidaar hoon' during Lok Sabha polls which successfully countered Rahul Gandhi's 'Chowkidaar Chor hai' jibe. Madhya Pradesh assembly's 28 seats will go to by-polls on November 3 and counting on November 10. 

Before MP bypolls, Kamal Nath calls Imarti Devi 'Item'; BJP says 'Women in state insulted'

BJP starts 'I am Shivraj' campaign

Congress targets Shivraj Chouhan over his 'poverty-stricken' background, MP CM hits back

What had Congress said?

 Last Sunday, Congress leader Dinesh Gurjar had compared ex-CM Kamal Nath's affluent stature to CM Shivraj Chouhan's humble origins. At a public rally he said that former Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath is a highly successful industrialist, whereas Shivraj Singh Chouhan who hailed from a poor background became wealthy at the cost of farmers poverty. An FIR has been filed against the Congress neta.

"Kamal Nath is India's number two industrialist. Unlike Shivraj, he is not from a poverty-stricken household "Bhuke Nange gharke". Shivraj had 5 acres of land, now he has thousands of acres as he has been drinking farmers' blood," Gurjar said.

Responding to the slander, Chouhan on Monday iterated that his background has made him realise the woes of poor and underprivileged sections of the country. "Congress leaders say I come from poor background. Yes, I belong to a poverty-stricken family, that's why I understand the pain of those who are hungry. Yes, I am poor, that's why I teach poor sons and daughters as Mama...I am poor, that's why I understand pain of every poor person," Singh tweeted.

MP CM Shivraj Chouhan speaks to Arnab, hits back on Congress' 'bhooka-nanga' remark

Madhya Pradesh crisis & bypolls

The crisis in the Kamal Nath government started when Congress alleged BJP of poaching 4 MLAs - two of which returned to Kamal Nath's folds. Soon, 22 MLAs including 6 cabinet ministers - loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia - quit the party, reducing the Congress to a minority government with 92 MLAs. Following this, Scindia resigned from Congress and then joined the BJP. After Nath stepped down as CM and the Madhya Pradesh Speaker accepted all 22 MLAs' resignation, all of them promptly joined BJP. Three more Congress MLAs have joined BJP since then - vacating 27 seats in the Assembly. 28 seats are up for polls now.

MP by-polls: Kamal Nath launches Congress manifesto; lambasts CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan