Generous Gaur gives Uma Centre

Even as former MP chief minister Uma Bharati set the pitch for her ‘‘Tiranga Yatra’’ tomorrow, her successor Babulal Gau...

Even as former MP chief minister Uma Bharati set the pitch for her ‘‘Tiranga Yatra’’ tomorrow, her successor Babulal Gaur spent the whole day in the Capital today and made it clear that he was no pushover, and she no ‘‘super CM’’.

At a press conference this evening, Gaur held forth all his plans to remove Madhya Pradesh from the BIMARU category and bring it on par with Kerala and Himachal Pradesh in three years. But his primary message was that unlike O. Paneerselvam (J. Jayalalithaa’s stand-in when she was forced to step down), he was not a going to be a stop-gap CM.

Asked whether the BJP leadership had given him an assurance, Gaur first said, ‘‘Rajniti mein koi ashavasan nahin hota hai (In politics, there are no guarantees).’’ And then added, ‘‘I am confident that since they have made me the Chief Minister, I will be allowed to complete the term.’’

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To another query whether Bharati might become ‘‘super CM’’ — in the same manner as the BJP accused Sonia Gandhi of being a ‘‘super PM’’ — Gaur said: ‘‘Woh to rashtriya neta banegi (she will be a national leader).’’

Gaur’s comments assume significance in light of moves being made by a section of BJP MLAs in MP to get Bharati back as CM. Although Bharati has herself ruled out her return, she has also made it clear that Gaur was her man and became CM only because she insisted.

Gaur, on the other hand, appeared keen to underline that he was his own man. The very fact that he held a press conference in the Capital so soon after taking over (other BJP CMs such as Vasundhare Raje have not yet held one for the national media) was an indication of this resolve.

	Gaur asks Gujarat to pay for dam rehab

			NEW DELHI: At a review panel meet of the Narmada Control Authority on Thursday, MP CM Babulal Gaur demanded that the project rehabilitation cost ‘‘be entirely borne by Gujarat.” Joining hands with Cong-ruled Maharashtra, he said the Narendra Modi government should reimburse the loss of power ‘‘due to exclusive use of irrigation bypass tunnel by Gujarat’’. —ENS

Gaur used the opportunity to highlight all the steps he had taken to fulfill the promises made in the BJP manifesto. While some of the schemes had been started by Bharati, others — such as the decision to withdraw 70,000 petty criminal cases — were initiatives taken in the last 15 days, he said.

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Gaur met the Prime Minister and asked for more financial help for the state. He called on Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav. In reply to a question, Gaur said his meeting with Laloo was ‘‘good’’ and that the latter had told him that he too was a Yadav who had chosen to shed his caste identity.