Uma Bharti and (right) Raman SIngh

Raipur, Aug. 19: For senior BJP leaders, chairperson of Bharatiya Janashakti Party and their rebel party colleague Uma Bharti may be a big foe. But her model for development designed as chief minister of Madhya Pradesh is not.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, following directives of senior party leaders, has decided to follow the footsteps of Uma Bharti for the development of the state — a move aimed to “serve” new concept to the voters as the ruling party gears up to retain power in the next state polls, due later next year.

“The chief minister had asked the state planning board to prepare the draft of ‘Panch-J (Five-J)’ that Uma Bharti designed when she was chief minister of Madhya Pradesh,” a senior official with the board told The Telegraph.

The board has immediately started the work on the proposal, the official added. The Five-J model includes development plan based on Jal (water), Jungle (forests), Jameen (land), Janwar (wildlife) and Jan (mass).

Soon after taking over as Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Uma Bharti worked on the proposal that was reportedly suggested by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionaries. According to senior BJP leaders, the model for development of the state based on Five-J was finalised. But Bharti had to step down before she could implement it.

However, her successors did not bother to revive the model and implement it in the larger interest of the state’s development even though the Sangh parivar’s mind was involved in the project.

No matter, senior BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh prefer to remain even out of Bharti’s shadow, Chhattisgarh chief minister has come forward to have her impression in state’s development plan.

Sources said Singh’s brave front to entertain “rebel Uma’s” mantra was guided by senior RSS functionaries and party leaders in New Delhi.