Chhattisgarh Election 2023:Congress canceled the ticket of its sitting MLA Chintamani Maharaj from Balrampur, Chhattisgarh. Congress has given ticket to Vijay Paikra from this seat. After being denied ticket from Congress, Chintamani has expressed his desire to contest elections from BJP. Maharaj has put a condition for this. Maharaj said that he would like to contest the elections if BJP gives him a ticket from Ambikapur against TS Singhdev. Along with this, Maharaj has claimed that Congress is ready to give him Lok Sabha ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Maharaj is currently the MLA from Samari seat in Balrampur district. This time Congress has canceled his ticket. Congress has fielded Vijay Paikra from this seat, while Balrampur District Panchayat member Udeshwari Paikra is the BJP candidate. On the sidelines of the religious programme, Aggarwal and Sai were seen discussing with the Maharaj.
What is the condition?
Talking to reporters after the program, Maharaj said that BJP is ready to field him in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 but he has put a condition of contesting the assembly elections from Ambikapur next month. He said that BJP leaders had come to attend the program during which the 31-feet tall statue of Maa Kali was unveiled. Maharaj said that they (BJP leaders) also said that it would be good if I join them. I have placed a condition that if they agree to field me from Ambikapur, I will consider (joining BJP). However, he said that those who are preparing from Ambikapur seat (from BJP) will get upset. They are ready to field me in the Lok Sabha elections.
Maharaj claimed that he has told BJP leaders that he will vacate the Ambikapur seat after six months and contest the Lok Sabha elections. He said that those (BJP leaders) who want to contest elections now, can be fielded from there (if by-elections are held). If they are ready to accept this condition then I will also consider (joining BJP). The BJP has not yet announced a candidate for the Ambikapur seat, which is currently represented by senior Congress leader T S Singh Deo. He has been made a candidate again from this seat.
Voting for the ninety-member Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17. Samri and Ambikapur are among the 70 seats that will go to polls in the second phase. Counting of votes will take place on December 3. Maharaj is the son of prominent social worker late Sant Rameshwar Gahira Guru, who had considerable influence in northern Chhattisgarh, especially for his work among the tribals. When asked about the discussion with Maharaj, Brijmohan Aggarwal said that whatever happened to Chintamani Maharaj ji is injustice to him. He is sad (indirectly after the ticket cancellation) and we have come to share his pain. Asked who would do justice, the BJP leader said that since Maharaj is in the Congress, it will do justice to him. Aggarwal avoided reporters’ questions regarding the pre-conditions put by Maharaj for joining the BJP.