Congress taps Ganga Jal post Narmada campaign

In the lead-up to Madhya Pradesh’s year-end legislative assembly elections, both the Congress and BJP are locking horns with intensified campaign efforts.
While the BJP rolls out its “Jan Aashirwad” initiative, the Congress is steering its “Jan Aakrosh Yatra”. The recent campaign saw the Congress pivot from its Narmada Service Mission to leverage Ganga Jal (water).
Congress has devised a strategy to distribute bottles filled with water from the Ganges river, labelled with a photograph of the state Congress leader, Kamal Nath. This initiative aims to remind the public of the party’s 11 guarantees to the people. The outreach starts in Indore, with plans to expand throughout the state. Each bottle showcases a poster of the 11 pledges, symbolising the party’s commitment.
However, this move has not gone unnoticed by the BJP. They retorted, accusing the Congress of using the sanctity of Ganga Jal to mask their past failures and deceitful promises. Drawing a parallel, the BJP alluded to Congress’s past pledge in Chhattisgarh, where a vow was taken over the sanctity of Ganga Jal for liquor prohibition, but upon coming to power, revenue from liquor was prioritised.
Prior to this, the Congress had initiated the Narmada Service Campaign, focusing on constituencies around the Narmada, informing people about their policies. The turn towards Ganga Jal as a symbolic outreach indicates Congress’s determination to strengthen its standing and push a Hindutva-centric agenda. Experts believe the Congress aims to challenge BJP’s traditional religious electoral strategy.