Shah raises MP poll pitch with focus on Ram temple

The Ram Mandir took centre stage in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh after Union home minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that the state is set to celebrate Diwali thrice in the coming months on the day of Diwali, on the day of the state poll results, and when the temple is inaugurated in Ayodhya in January 2024.

- Shruti Tomar

The 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly is set to go to polls on November 17, with the vote count taking place on December 3. The Bharatiya Janata Party is looking to retain power in the state.

On Saturday, addressing a public event in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh, Shah said: "First Diwali you will celebrate next month. The second time you will celebrate Diwali is when the BJP will form the government in Madhya Pradesh. Third time you will again celebrate Diwali when PM Modi installs the idol of Lord Ram in Ayodhya's Ram Temple."

Shah's statement comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accepted an invitation from Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for a ceremony to be held on January 22, 2024 where the idol of the lord Rama will be placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of temple.

The Union minister, who began his three-day tour of Madhya Pradesh from Saturday, accused the Congress governments of hindering the construction of the Ram Temple.