Here’s a piece of data that CM like Kamal Nath and Gujarat’s BJPCM Vijay Rupani, who proposed not too long ago a law that makes 80 per cent local employment mandatory for any firm as well as Maharashtra politician, should know India is among the worst performers in the world when it comes to inter-state migration.

Kamal Nath also realizes that challenge from the BJP is more formidable in Madhya Pradesh. Despite losing the numbers game, the BJP’s vote share was 0.1 percentage point more than that of the Congress and the party has a strong base across the state. In as many as 10 seats, the margin of victory was less than 1,000 votes. The Congress won seven of these.

Two of other three seats were decided by a margin of less 350 and 121 votes. The Congress came third in 14 seats in Madhya Pradesh and fared even worse in five seats. In the current Lok Sabha, only two of 29 seats are with Congress—Chhindwara represented by Kamal Nath and Guna, represented Jyotiraditya Scindia.

If the results of recent Assembly elections are extrapolated on the Lok Sabha post 2019 elections, the Congress can snatch at least 10 BJP seats.

Kamal Nath’s first challenge in the coming Lok Sabha election next year will be not only to retain this edge but improve it, if possible. This will not be an easy task. Apart from providing good governance, he will have to tone up the party organization in Malwa, Gwalior, Mahakoshal and Vindhya regions. His seniority and acceptability across different factions are an advantage.

An even trickier question for the Congress in run up to Lok Sabha election will be to revisit the issue of alliance with the BSP, a move that would have significantly improved its performance in recent elections.

Though the BSP could win only two seats in the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election compared to seven in 2008, at the aggregate level, it has improved its performance by winning ten seats across the three states, which is two more than what it won in 2013. The issue of alliance with regional parties like BSP and Samajwadi Party is all the more relevant for the Congress in the post 2019 election strategy of forging a grand alliance against the BJP.

The announcement of loan waivers for farmers and more jobs to locals in state’s industries by Kamal Nath government may be a good start. However, it will have to ensure that these promises are implemented immediately and effectively.

By setting up a 22-member committee for implementing the farm loan waiver, the Madhya Pradesh CM has shown that he is earnest. But he will have to go beyond these populist measures, if congress has to consolidate its gain in the state.

His first task now is to pack his council of ministers with those who have required administrative skills and political sagacity besides representing different regions and social groups in the state. He must then set up a road map for his government, translating Congress poll promise into a time-bound actionable plan.

Farm distress was one of the key reasons for the BJP’s loss in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The state government must ensure that the promised loan waivers percolates to marginal farmers. It must also ensure the Kharif crop is purchased from farmers at the promised minimum support price.

As for jobs, cajoling the state industries to employ 70 per cent of the native Madhya Pradesh is not enough. The government has to ensure that the state’s young people are better equipped with skills that make them employable.

Madhya Pradesh is the Hindutva party’s oldest traditional stronghold and the Opposition-led by former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, cannot be written off. Moreover the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh will know that it would soon run out of time. In fewer than four months, the code of conduct for general elections will be enforced. Kamal Nath will really have to race against time. (IPA Service)