Bhopal, Oct 25 (IANS): Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Monday accused the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government of "mishandling" the Covid situation, especially during the second wave.

In a video message, ahead of the coming bypolls, he criticised the Chouhan government's "callous" attitude towards its people when the state was reeling under Covid-19.

"Many lives were lost due to shortage of oxygen, beds and necessary medicines in the state during Covid. The Shivraj government had promised to provide compensation to all the affected families, but not a single family being has been compensated so far," Kamal Nath, who is also the state Congress chief, said.

He said that this is the first election in the state since the pandemic and the people should not forget the harrowing time.

"At a time when people were banking on the state for help, Chouhan and his ministers failed them. Now is the time to settle scores with the government," he said.

He also alleged that under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule, the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated.

The state, he said, had seen tremendous developments in the last 15 years, but now, the crime against women and children is on a rise. Children are being kidnapped everyday, women are being subjected to sexual assulat and law and order situation is on the brink of collapse, he claimed.

Meanwhile, just days before the October 30 bypolls to the Prithvipur, Raigon, and Jobat Assembly seats and the Khandwa Lok Sabha constituency, the Congress faced yet another blow with another party MLA joining the BJP on Sunday.

Sachin Birla, from Khargone district, switched over to the saffron party.

Birla resigned just two days prior to the Congress leader and fellow Gujjar Sachin Pilot's rally in Khandwa.