Episode 90 - Madhya Pradesh polls, BJP Vs Cong & Tribal voters with Cong’s Jitu Patwari & Hiralal Alawa

The election fever has already started in the country with five states going to poll before general elections are held in the country. The high stakes states include Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh. Apart from that Mizoram too will go to polls by the end of this year. Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh have become interesting as the grand old party in Madhya Pradesh led by veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath is trying to repeat the 2018 performance while incumbent CM Shivraj Chouhan is trying seeking re-election after ruling the central Indian state for 17 years.

This episode of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash features two sessions which include one with former education minister of Madhya Pradesh and two-time Congress MLA Jitu Patwari and a doctor-turned-politician and one time MLA Dr Hiralal Alawa and were recorded in Bhopal, capital city of Madhya Pradesh.

The first part features Jitu Patwari who rose to fame after he took Rahul Gandhi on a bike ride to reach Mandasaur in 2017 to meet kin of deceased farmers who were shot in police firing, while Alawa is a first time MLA and a tribal leader who heads Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti, an influential tribal organization which is going to hold key to more than 40 assembly segments this election. In a conversation with Smita Prakash, Patwari talks about his style of politics and Congress's startegy for upcoming assembly elections, he exuded confidence that Congress will return to power in the state. He also talks about Scindia's exit and accuses Shivraj Chouhan of pushing Madhya Pradesh into debt.Alawa also talks about his plans for the upcoming elections and thanks Congress for providing him an opportunity for raising tribal voices in the assembly and accuses BJP as a party of announcements.