"Atrocities against Adivasis are part of the BJP's political culture"

The nine-time MP, former chief minister and one of the tallest leaders of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, in an exclusive interview with Outlook's Abhik Bhattacharya, touches upon several issues ranging from atrocities against Adivasis and agricultural distress to allegations of soft Hindutva. With the state going to the polls on November 17, Nath seems very confident about the outcome. But giving out a number is not "his thing-it is better to be kept for incumbent chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan," he says. Excerpts:

- Abhik Bhattacharya

What will be the favourable factors for the Congress this time? 

I have been roaming around the state for months. People have already made up their mind. You can go to the field and see that the Congress will come to power with a formidable majority. We have promised minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,600 per quintal for wheat, and Rs 2,500 per quintal for paddy. This will have a huge impact on the ground. We are also going to provide free education and monthly stipend to students. During the last 18 years, Chouhan has made the state a'Ghotala Pradesh' (scam state). Several scams including Vyapam, Mahakal, nursing college and patwari recruitments mar his tenure. From price hike to unemployment, poor roads to lack of electricity supply-coupled with the burden of debt-[these] have made the state infrastructurally and financially weak. Against this backdrop, the people's faith in us will lead us to victory.

Anti-incumbency is expected to favour the Congress, but how will voters be assured that this time the party will serve a 'full-term' government? Does victory assure consistency?

Last time, we had a thin majority. But this year we will sweep through the state and there will be barely any chance of defection. We have learnt a lesson and it's our turn to teach one.

Since 2003, it is said in Madhya Pradesh that whoever wins the majority of the ST seats, wins the state. This formula helped the Congress in 2018. Do you expect a repetition of the same performance?