40 per cent below poverty line under double-engine government: Bhupesh Baghel

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 16 : Ahead of the high pitched state election, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel pointed out to Union Home Minister Amit Shah that under the "double-engine government" in the state, 40 per cent of people were below poverty line as compared to the Congress' tenure when 40 lakh people rose above the poverty line.
"I would like to tell Amit Shah that when there was a double-engine government, as per RBI's 2018 report 40 per cent of the population was below poverty line. Today, NITI Aayog report says that 40 lakh people have risen above the poverty line...," Baghel said.
Baghel was referring to the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled state government in Chhattisgarh under Chief Minister Raman Singh. "Double engine government" is an expression coined by the BJP to refer to BJP governments at the state and the centre.
After pointing out the hard facts to Amit Shah, Baghel said, "If you lie, it will come back to you like a boomerang." Chhattisgarh will go to polls in two phases- November 7 and November 17.
The first phase of polling for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 7, and the remaining 70 seats in Chhattisgarh will go to polls on November 17.
The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister added that the second list of candidates may be out after and "important meeting" on Tuesday.
"There is an important meeting tomorrow. State President Deepak Baij, Deputy CM TS Singh Deo and Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charan Das Mahant will attend it. I think the second list of candidates will be before you after the meeting," Baghel said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Chhattisgarh used to be a 'Bimaru' state under the Congress government but when Raman Singh became the Chief Minister the state became advanced.
"Under Congress rule, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh used to be 'Bimaru' states. Atal Bihari Vajpayee created Chhattisgarh and when our government was formed, Dr Raman Singh became CM and within 15 years, he made this state advanced," Shah said while addressing a rally at Rajnandgaon.
Amit Shah alleged that the Bhupesh Baghel government will continue to indulge in appeasement and vote bank politics if it returns to power in Chhattisgarh.
"If Congress comes to power again in Chhattisgarh, it will continue appeasement and vote bank politics," he said.
Asking Bhupesh Baghel what has he done in these five years, Shah said that the Baghel government had promised so many things but he failed to deliver and the people of the state is unhappy.
"Bhupesh Baghel government had promised so many things... they had promised free gas cylinders...they were about to ban liquor in the whole state, what happened? They had promised to cut the electricity bill to half, what happened? Under Bhupesh Baghel's government neither OBC, Adivasi, women, farmers, no one is happy...only the Gandhi family is happy," he added.
Earlier in the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress witnessed a landslide victory winning 68 seats out of 90 of those against the then ruling-BJP, which acquired 15 seats.
The BJP aims to wrest power from the Congress-ruled state which is expected to set the tone for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls.