In a campaign akin to the “India Shining” of the erstwhile NDA regime at the Centre, the Raman Singh Government in Chhattisgarh is trying to sell itself as “Ram Rajya”, the epitome of good governance in Hindu mythology, with an eye on the upcoming Assembly polls.

The campaign includes propagating Government policies and developmental initiatives on local FM stations, cable networks and newspapers. According to official sources, the main schemes that are being highlighted during the campign are supply of rice at Rs 3 per kilogram to more that 34 lakh residents living below the poverty line, free cycle distribution scheme for girl students, free cows and bulls for tribals, free salt for BPL families and free footwear for those collecting tendu leaves from forests. BJP’s victory in the Keshkal bypolls has also been attributed to these welfare schemes.

While the focus of the campaign is on Chief Minister Raman Singh, his council of ministers has been conveniently forgotten. Party sources say that this has been done deliberately as BJP chief Rajnath Singh has announced that the polls will be contested under Raman’s leadership.

“We want the masses to identify the Government with the Chief Minister as several senior ministers in his Cabinet, including Health Minister Amar Agrawal, Panchayti Raj Minister Ajay Chandrakar, Education Minister Krishnamoorti Bandhi and Public Works Minister Rajesh Munat, have become inaccessible and have distanced themselves from the rank and file,” sources add.

Ridiculing the state Government’s campaign, former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi has said that the Government is wasting taxpayers’ money in propagating itself. “Instead of focusing on projecting its image, the Government should try and do some welfare work for the masses. It made a similar attempt when the NDA was in power and hasn’t seemed to have learnt from it,” Jogi added.

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