Bhopal, Feb 17 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, alleging that the state’s economic condition has worsened under its governance.

He claimed that the BJP’s administrative approach over the past two decades has pushed Madhya Pradesh into a huge debt trap and that the government has failed to generate adequate revenue from its own sources.

Referring to recent assessments on the state’s share of central taxes, Kamal Nath expressed concern that receipts could steadily decline over the next five years, potentially reducing revenues by around Rs 50,000 crore.

“It is clear that the Madhya Pradesh government is completely failing at financial management. It is neither generating revenue from its own sources nor is it able to secure increased revenue from the central government,” he said.

The Congress leader added that despite the BJP being in power both at the Centre and in the state, it had not addressed Madhya Pradesh’s weakening finances. He argued that the state should have received stronger financial support from the Union government.

“The state’s share of central taxes is being reduced at a time when the state is facing a severe economic crisis. The state government’s financial situation has deteriorated so significantly that its debt exceeds its annual budget,” Nath said, alleging that “The BJP’s double-engine government has become a double crisis for Madhya Pradesh.”

His remarks come a day before the government led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is set to present the state’s annual budget for the 2026-27 financial year in the Assembly on Wednesday.

The Congress has also demanded a white paper on the mounting debt under the BJP government and warned of a large protest on February 24 over the issue.

According to a recent economic assessment, Madhya Pradesh’s outstanding debt has risen to roughly Rs 5.31 lakh crore, accounting for more than five per cent of India’s total state debt.

–IANS

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