Bhopal, March 25: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday appealed BJP workers to step up their efforts and ensure that the party would win all seven Assembly seats of Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district in the upcoming elections.

Addressing a public gathering in Chhindwara, Shah said that in 2019, BJP had lost Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat from narrow margin, "thus the party workers need to step up their efforts and ensure that the party would win the seat in 2024 general elections and all seven seats in upcoming Assembly elections".

Chhindwara is considered as the bastion of Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath. Shah urged the people to vote "overwhelmingly" for the BJP in the Assembly polls to be held later this year.

Meanwhile, hitting at Nath, the Union Home Minister said the former did nothing for the people of the state when he was Chief Minister between December 2018 and March 2020. "Previous Congress governments did not care for the tribals, the poor and those from the Backward Classes. Only the BJP can provide security, prosperity and ensure welfare of the poor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cares for the respect of tribals, whom the Congress has neglected for years."

He reminded that it was the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi "who decided to make a tribal woman - Droupadi Murmu - the President of India". He also reiterated that the Narendra Modi-led BJP government has announced nationwide celebration of legendary tribal leader Birsa Munda's birth anniversary on November 15 as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas'.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan levelled several allegations on Kamal Nath, such as "stopping" various public-centric schemes during his 15 months government in the state. Chouhan said the BJP government sent a lot of money for development of Chhindwara, but Kamal Nath was taking credit out of it.

"Since the day Congress leaders came to know that Amit Shah is coming to Chhindwara, all their leaders went on panic mode. Kamal Nath has started making big announcements to counter BJP's promises. But, let me tell you all that Chhindwara will no more remain Kamal Nath's bastion now. BJP will win all seven Assembly seats and Lok Sabha election this time. We have taken a pledge for it," Chouhan added.

Kamal Nath was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Chhindwara in 1980 and repeated the feat several times, with his only loss coming in a bypoll in 1997. Even when the BJP won 28 out of 29 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, his son Nakul Nath won the election from the seat. The Congress has won all assembly seats in the district in 2018 polls.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 25, 2023 10:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).