Is Modi  becoming a liability for BJP in Madhya Pradesh?

Truth is always bitter and for BJP, it's getting more bitter. The party is finding it hard to come to terms with the reality that the saffron party is extremely likely to lose power in Madhya Pradesh (MP) after having been in power for three terms, spanning 15 years. And the strong anti-incumbency is not just against the state government of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan but also that of the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Possibly for the first time, a state BJP leadership is finding the party’s star campaigner a liability rather than an asset. In MP, BJP leaders don't want Modi to campaign as he is proving to be a spoiler due to resentment amongst voters about demonetisation, GST and rise in prices of petroleum products in both urban and rural areas.

Sources close to the Chief Minister are worried about the negative impact of Narendra Modi's election speeches and rallies for the Assembly polls. One of Chauhan’s main campaign managers, on the condition of anonymity, disclosed the secret feedback that Modi's public meetings have generated: they are adding to the resentment against BJP, rather than garnering support for the party.

There is palpable anger among people due to Centre’s bungling policies which are responsible for price rise, especially that of cooking gas cylinder, petrol, diesel and others essential commodities. Local intelligence officers have passed on this feedback to Chauhan.

One of the office bearers of the state unit of the BJP mentioned this feedback to members of the central BJP team camping in Bhopal for the polls. Sources say that on the advice of some seniors, this report was not forwarded to Amit Shah.

Chauhan supporters are of the view that there is no favourable response Modi is generating unlike during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Even, the Chhattisgarh party unit had the same feedback regarding Modi's negative impact.

A BJP MP, close to Modi and Shah, told reporters in an off-the-record conversation that this feedback theory has been spread by the Chauhan camp as they have sensed defeat. They want to put the blame on Modi, he said

According to sources, reports from Malwa-Nimad region, which accounts for 66 seats, have disturbed the BJP the most. Narendra modi's public meeting in Indore and Jhabua couldn't leave any positive effect on the people. Manohar Limbodiya, senior journalist at the Free Press Journal, told National Herald that people wanted Modi to say something about corrective major steps to be taken by his government regarding restoring business confidence and checking price rise. He, instead, attacked the Nehru-Gandhi family in his speeches which people are fed up of.

In Jhabua, local journalist Sachin Bairagi of Patrika newspaper also narrated a similar scenario. He said, “Log mehngai se pareshan hai, yahan se rojgar ke liye bahar jana padta hai. BJP ke 15 saal me yahan koi ullekhaniya kam nahi hua. Modiji ki sabha ka koi jyada fayda BJP ko nahi mila.”