The Chhattisgarh

Tag: chhattisgarh assembly election 2023

  • Chhattisgarh Elections 2023: 294 candidates filed nominations for the first phase, how many nominations from where?

    294 candidates have filed nominations for the first phase of Chhattisgarh assembly elections. Officials said on Friday that 254 nomination papers were filed on the last day of nomination for 20 assembly constituencies in the first phase of assembly elections. Thus, a total of 294 candidates have filed 455 nomination papers for the first phase. Let us tell you that the notification for the first phase was issued on October 13. The nomination papers will be scrutinized on October 21. Candidates will be able to withdraw their names on 23 October.

    Officials said that on Friday, 33 cases were reported in Rajnandgaon assembly constituency, 29 in Kawardha, 20 in Pandariya, 15 in Bhanupratappur, 14-14 in Jagdalpur and Dantewada, 12-12 in Dongargaon and Antagarh, 11-11 in Khairagarh and Kondagaon, Bijapur and 10-10 nomination papers were filed in Konta, 9 in Chitrakot, 8-8 in Narayanpur and Khujji, 7-7 in Kanker and Keshkal and 6-6 in Bastar and Mohla-Manpur. Voting for 90 seats of Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17.

    Officials said that in the first phase, nomination papers have been filled in 12 constituencies of Bastar division including eight assembly constituencies of Rajnandgaon, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai and Kabirdham districts. Voting will be held on November 7 for 20 seats in the first phase of elections being held in two phases in the state. The total number of voters in the 20 assembly constituencies of the first phase is 40,78,681, which includes 19,93,937 males, 20,84,675 females and 69 voters of the third gender.

    A total of five thousand 304 polling stations have been created for these assembly constituencies. In the first phase, voting will be held for Konta, Bijapur, Dantewada, Chitrakot, Jagdalpur, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Keshkal, Kanker, Bhanupratapur, Antagarh, Mohla-Manpur, Khujji, Dongargaon, Rajnandgaon, Dongargarh, Khairagarh, Kawardha and Pandariya assembly constituencies. . Voting for the other 70 assembly constituencies will be held in the second phase on November 17. Notification for the second phase of voting will be issued on Saturday, October 21 and nominations can be filed till October 30.

    Chhattisgarh’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has so far announced candidates on 86 seats out of 90, and ruling party Congress has announced candidates on 83 seats. Of the 20 seats where voting is being held in the first phase, 12 are reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) while one is reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) category. In the 2018 assembly elections, Congress had won 17 seats in these constituencies, while BJP had won two and Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) had won one seat.

    Congress later won two more seats out of the remaining three in the by-elections. Among the 20 seats for which voting will be held on November 7, the main candidates from BJP are Raman Singh from Rajnandgaon, former minister Kedar Kashyap from Narayanpur (SC), Lata Usendi from Kondagaon (SC), Vikram Usendi from Antagarh (SC), Bijapur ( Mahesh Gagda from SC) and former IAS officer Neelkanth Tekam from Keshkal (SC).

    Prominent candidates from the Congress in the first phase include State Congress President and MP Deepak Baij from Chitrakote (ST), Minister Kawasi Lakhma from Konta (ST) and Mohan Markam from Kondagaon (ST). Congress formed the government in the 2018 assembly elections by winning 68 seats in the 90-member assembly. BJP was reduced to 15 seats. JCC(J) and BSP had won five and two seats respectively in the state. The current MLAs of Congress are 71.

  • Congress released the list of 40 star campaigners for Chhattisgarh, names of which veterans?

    Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2023: Election activity is increasing in Chhattisgarh. All the parties in the state are using their full strength. Congress has released a list of 40 star campaigners to campaign in Chhattisgarh assembly elections. Among the star campaigners announced by Congress on Friday are party president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, Ajay Maken and Kumari Shailaja are also prominent faces in this list who will be seen raising their voice.

    Apart from this, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Punjab Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Deepak Baij, Rajiv Shukla, Deepak Baij, TS Singhdev, Phulo Devi Netam, Mohan Markam, K Raju, Alka Lamba, Ranjit Ranjan, PL Punia, Bhakta Charan Das, Sharat The names of Patnaik, Saptagiri Shankar Ulaka are also included in this list. The names of Dr. Chandan Yadav, Vijay Jangid, Rajneesh Tiwari, Captain Ajay Singh Yadav, Shivaji Rao Moghe, Imran Pratapgarhi are also in the list.

    This list includes the names of stalwarts like Rajesh Lilothia, Shiv Kumar Dahria, Ravindra Choubey, Amarjeet Bhagat, Premsai Singh Tekam, Nandkumar Sai, Shafi Ahmed, Netta D’Souza, Srinivas Biwi and Pradeep Jain Aditya. Voting will be held in Chhattisgarh in two phases on November 7 and 17. Counting of votes will take place along with other states on December 3.

    A day before, BJP also released the list of its star campaigners. (Star Campaigners List of BJP in Chhattisgarh Election) Was released. BJP had given place to 40 star campaigners in this list. BJP has given place to 8 Union Ministers in this list. This includes PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. Apart from these, names of UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma are also in the list of BJP’s star campaigns. Names of 11 leaders from Chhattisgarh are included in this list. Not only this, four out of ten MPs of the state have been taken.

  • Congress reaches EC accusing Amit Shah of hate speech, Raman Singh also included in the complaint

    Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee has accused Amit Shah of giving hate speech during a public rally in Rajnandgaon city. Congress on Tuesday reached the Chief Electoral Officer of the state and lodged a complaint against Union Home Minister Amit Shah for alleged hate speech, demanding strict action. Congress communication department chairman Sushil Anand Shukla, in a complaint submitted to Chief Electoral Officer Reena Babasaheb Kangale, has also demanded action against BJP state president Arun Sao and former Chief Minister Raman Singh.

    Congress has accused BJP of trying to take political advantage of the Biranpur incident. In the complaint, Congress has alleged that senior BJP leader and the country’s Home Minister Amit Shah, in a meeting organized for the nomination of BJP’s Rajnandgaon candidate Dr. Raman Singh, said regarding the murder case in Biranpur, that ‘Bhupesh Baghel government has For appeasement, for vote bank politics, Chhattisgarh’s son Bhuvneshwar Sahu was ‘lynched’ and killed. BJP has decided that it will work to bring the murderers of Bhuvaneshwar Sahu to justice.

    Congress has alleged that Shah had said that his father Ishwar Sahu has been fielded as its symbol. Congress said that this statement of Amit Shah is not only objectionable but its only purpose is to incite communal violence in the peaceful state of Chhattisgarh. The Home Minister has given this statement to incite frenzy with the intention of electoral gains. What he has said is absolutely false. The reality is that in this case of violence and counter-violence, the government had taken prompt action and arrested the accused and sent them to jail.

    Congress said- Amit Shah, upset with his clearly visible defeat in Chhattisgarh, now wants to take the help of communalism. While addressing the election rally in Rajnandgaon, the country’s Home Minister Amit Shah, who is holding a constitutional post and took oath under the Constitution, has made a malicious attempt to incite communal tension with the aim of religious polarisation. The leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party in Chhattisgarh are continuously trying to make their political gains on the Biranpur incident in a planned manner.

    Congress said that in the case in which the investigation has been completed, the challan has been presented in the court, the decision of the lower court has also come. In such a case, the country’s Home Minister’s malicious attempt to incite hysteria with the aim of communal polarization is clearly a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Congress has demanded strict action from the Election Commission against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Raman Singh and Arun Sao.

    During an election rally in Rajnandgaon on Monday, Shah had attacked the Bhupesh Baghel government over the communal violence that broke out in Biranpur village in Bemetra district in April and asked people whether they wanted Chhattisgarh to become the epicenter of communal riots again. . Pointing towards Ishwar Sahu present on the stage, Shah had said that Bhuneshwar Sahu was murdered for vote bank and appeasement. Ishwar Sahu’s son Bhuneshwar Sahu was killed in the Biranpur violence. Voting for the 90-member state assembly will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17.

  • In Chhattisgarh, Hamar Raj Party of the tribal community also made its mark; List of 19 candidates released

    Hamar Raj Party, the main organization of tribal society in Chhattisgarh, has also made a roar in the election campaign. Hamar Raj Party on Tuesday released the list of 19 candidates for the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. The name of a former IPS officer is also included in the list. Hamar Raj Party has announced the names of candidates for 10 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and two seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

    Hamar Raj Party has fielded tribals on general seats also. Of the 19 candidates in the list, two are from the Scheduled Caste category and the remaining 17 candidates are from the tribal community. The names of three women candidates are included in the list. This party, formed by Sarva Adivasi Samaj (SAS), an organization of tribal society in the state, had earlier announced to field candidates on 50 seats including all 29 seats reserved for the tribal community, but the party is now considering contesting on 60 to 70 seats. Has been.

    SAS working president BS Raote released the list at a press conference here and said his party is now planning to contest 60-70 seats as people are voluntarily joining them and candidates in more and more constituencies. Requesting to take it down. Raote said that people are fed up with Congress and BJP. People of tribal areas will give mandate to his party.

    BS Raote said- We are not worried about victory or defeat. The important thing is that we have started fighting for our rights and against exploitation. The party has entered the election field for the first time. The party has fielded Akbar Ram Korram, a former IPS officer and retired from the post of Deputy Inspector General of Police in 2020, from Bhanupratappur. This seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribe category.

    Korram had contested the by-election from Bhanupratappur seat last year. This seat had become vacant after the death of the then MLA and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Manoj Mandavi. In that by-election, Congress candidate and Mandavi’s wife Savitri Mandavi defeated her nearest rival Brahmanand Netam of BJP by 21,171 votes. Korram, who contested the election as an independent, had secured 23,417 votes in the by-election.

    Raote said that among other candidates, Surajpur District Panchayat member Geeta Sonha has been fielded from Pratappur (ST) seat and former school principal Bhavani Singh Sidar has been fielded from Kharsia seat. Raote said that most of the candidates are prominent social workers of their area. Voting for 90 seats of Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17.

  • Chhattisgarh Elections 2023: Congress ready to sharpen its campaign, high-tech election war room built in Raipur

    Chhattisgarh Congress Election War Room: As the date of assembly elections in Chhattisgarh is approaching, Congress has intensified preparations to sharpen the campaign. In this election battle, Congress is also taking great help of technology. For this, preparations are being made to fight the political battle from the hi-tech election ‘war room’ itself. Elections for all 90 seats of Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17 and counting of votes will take place on December 3.

    Chhattisgarh Congress has prepared a hi-tech election ‘war room’ in the capital Raipur before the assembly elections in the state, from where the party’s policies and promises will be taken to every home and public through digital medium of publicity.

    Ayush Pandey, National Coordinator of Social Media and Digital Communication of AICC in Chhattisgarh, said that this is a war room for election preparations. It is divided into several different verticals. While there is a ground campaign management unit, there is also a political analysis unit. This is social media management unit. The entire digital war is fought from here.

    Ayush Pandey told that the entire digital narrative is being set from this war room. All publications and advertisements are issued from here. At present a call center is also working here from 9 am to 10 pm. It will work 24 hours as elections approach.

    First list of 30 candidates released

    Congress on Sunday released the first list of names of its 30 candidates for the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. In this list, the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh has expressed confidence in the old leaders and also tried to give a chance to new faces to retain power in the state. It also includes the names of 22 sitting MLAs. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Deputy Chief Minister TS Singhdev, Assembly Speaker Charan Das Mahant and all the ministers have been included in the list.

    Along with these, the party has also fielded its state president and MP Deepak Baij. Congress has canceled the tickets of eight sitting MLAs and has decided to field six new faces. Of the 30 seats in the first list, 14 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and three for Scheduled Caste (SC), nine of the other 13 general seats have been given tickets to Other Backward Class (OBC) candidates.

    Voting on 20 seats in the first phase

    Let us tell you that voting for total 90 assembly seats of Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases on 7th and 17th November and counting of votes will take place on 3rd December. In the first phase, voting will be held on 20 seats considered Naxal affected and sensitive on November 7 and in the second phase, voting will be held on the remaining 70 seats on November 17.

    It is noteworthy that Congress had formed the government in the 2018 elections by winning 68 seats of the 90-member assembly. At the same time, BJP was reduced to 15 seats. JCC(J) and BSP had won five and seven seats respectively in the state. The current number of Congress MLAs in Chhattisgarh is 71. This time the party has set a target of winning 75 seats.

  • Aam Aadmi Party has released its third list for Chhattisgarh, who will contribute from where?

    AAP Third List for Chhattisgarh: Aam Aadmi Party has released its third list for Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. In this, candidates have been announced for 11 assembly seats. In this list of 11 candidates, Dr. Akash Jashwal from Baikunthpur Assembly, Chandrakant Diksena from Katghora and Manbhajan Tandon from Lormi Assembly seat have been fielded. Before this, Aam Aadmi Party has released two lists. It covers those assembly constituencies where voting is to be held in the first phase. Voting for the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17.

    Not only this, Deepak Patre from Mungeli, Durgalal Kevat from Jaijaipur, Lekhram Sahu from Kasdol, Jashwant Sinha from Gunderdehi and Chameli Kurre from Pandariya have been given a chance. Sanjeet Vishwakarma from Durg Rural, Jagmohan Baghel from Bastar while Narendra Bhawani from Jagdalpur will be in the fray. It is known that BJP has also released two lists of its candidates. At the same time, Congress says that it will also release its list soon.

    Recently, Arvind Kejriwal had said that Aam Aadmi Party will contest elections with full strength in the three states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Aam Aadmi Party had announced the names of 10 candidates in its first list. 12 candidates were given place in the second list of Aam Aadmi Party. Aam Aadmi Party, while releasing the third list on X, said that this time the broom will run.

    Aam Aadmi Party has announced 10 guarantees in Chhattisgarh. While promising these guarantees, Arvind Kejriwal had said that his guarantee is different and the guarantee of other parties is different. Kejriwal’s guarantee is firm. AAP has promised to provide 24 hours and 300 units of free electricity. It has also been said that old electricity bills till November will be waived off. Also promised to ensure good education and raw teachers. You have talked about free treatment and opening mohalla clinics in every village. It has been said to provide financial assistance of Rs 1000 per month to women.

  • Before Chhattisgarh elections, Center gave X category security to 24 BJP leaders of Bastar division.

    The campaign for Chhattisgarh assembly elections is now about to gain momentum. The possibility of Naxalite attacks in these elections is also being taken into consideration. After the killing of four BJP leaders by Naxalites in Bastar in the last few months, the central government is on alert. The central government has provided ‘X’ category security to 24 local party leaders ahead of the assembly elections in the state. Officials in Bastar said that the Union Home Ministry has issued orders regarding X category CRPF security to 24 local officials belonging to the BJP.

    Officials aware of this development said that the leaders who have been provided X category security are from Maoist-affected Bijapur, Dantewada, Sukma and Kondagaon in Bastar region. Prima facie it seems that this decision has been taken keeping in mind the upcoming assembly elections in Bastar region. A senior police officer posted in Bastar region said- Generally the categories are provided by either the state government or the central government.

    The state government has already provided security to more than 70 people in Bastar region, including BJP, Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI) officials and social workers. The security review committee of the state government assesses the security threats to individuals and assigns security categories varying from Z+, Z, Y+, Y and X category. Z+ is the highest and X is the lowest grade of protection. The order to provide security will be implemented in the next few days.

    It is noteworthy that in February, Naxalites had killed three people who were BJP officials in this area. In February, Sagar Sahu (47), a former BJP official, was shot dead in Narayanpur district. Two days later, former sarpanch Ramdhar Alami, who was an active member of the BJP for the last 15 years, was murdered. This week, BJP Mandal President Neelkanth Kakkam was shot dead by Maoists in Awapalli area of ​​Bijapur district. On February 21, a former BJP sarpanch was murdered by Naxalites in Bijapur district.

  • These assembly seats are very important in Chhattisgarh elections, whose prestige is at stake?

    The Election Commission has announced the dates of assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. Voting for a total of 90 assembly seats in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17. Counting of votes will take place in the state along with other states on December 3. During the elections for the total 90 seats of Chhattisgarh Assembly, the contests on 13 seats will attract the most attention because prominent leaders of Congress and BJP are involved in them.

    Eyes on these 13 assembly seats of Chhattisgarh

    1. dumping

    Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel currently represents this rural constituency of Durg district. Its border is with the capital Raipur. Since 1993, Baghel has been elected five times from Patan seat. In 2008 he was defeated by his distant nephew, BJP’s Vijay Baghel. BJP has once again fielded Vijay Baghel, MP from Durg Lok Sabha seat, from this seat. Baghel belongs to the Kurmi caste, an influential Other Backward Class community in the state. This constituency has a large Kurmi population.

    2. Rajnandgaon

    This urban seat in Rajnandgaon district is currently held by BJP vice president and three-time Chief Minister Raman Singh. In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress had fielded Karuna Shukla, who had left the BJP and joined the Congress. She lost to Singh by 16,933 votes. Six-time MLA Raman Singh has won this seat three times since 2008. This time BJP has not presented any leader as its chief ministerial face.

    3. Ambikapur

    This tribal dominated seat of North Chhattisgarh is currently held by Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo. Singh Deo, a three-time MLA and scion of the former royal family, had won the seat for the first time in 2008. Protests are being held by local villagers, mainly tribals, against the coal mines allotted to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL) in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo-Aranya region. Singhdev had come out in support of the protesters. Following this, the state urged the Center to cancel all coal block allocations in the Hasdeo region. The protests may affect Congress’s prospects on this seat.

    4. Konta (Reserved for Scheduled Tribes)

    This seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes is in Naxal-affected Sukma district of South Chhattisgarh. It is currently held by Industries and Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma, one of the most influential tribal leaders in the state. Here mostly a triangular contest has been seen between Congress, BJP and Communist Party of India (CPI). Lakhma has won from Konta five consecutive times since 1998.

    5. Kondagaon (Reserved for Scheduled Tribes)

    This seat, which falls in Kondagaon district of South Chhattisgarh, is currently held by former Congress state president Mohan Markam. Markam had defeated BJP’s prominent tribal woman leader and former minister Lata Usendi from here in 2013 and 2018. Usendi was recently made the vice president of BJP. It is believed that Markam does not have good relations with Chief Minister Baghel, hence he was removed from the post of State Congress President in July.

    6. Raipur City South

    This urban constituency is held by influential BJP leader and former minister Brijmohan Agarwal. A seven-time MLA, Agarwal has been winning the seat continuously since 1990. Congress leader Kanhaiya Agarwal had given a tough competition to Agarwal in 2018. Kanhaiya had secured 60,093 votes against Brijmohan. The BJP leader got 77,589 votes in this election.

    7. Durg Rural

    This rural seat in Durg district has a large population of Sahu, a prominent community of Other Backward Class (OBC). The seat is currently held by minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, a prominent OBC leader. Sahu is believed to have played an important role in uniting Sahu voters in favor of Congress in 2018. After the party came to power in 2018, Sahu was the frontrunner for the post of Chief Minister. Sahu had earlier won from Durg Lok Sabha seat in 2014.

    8. power

    Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Charandas Mahanta is another prominent OBC leader of the Congress who represents the seat. Mahant, a four-time MLA, was elected from this seat for the first time in 2018. He is also a three-time Lok Sabha MP and was the Union Minister of State in the second term of the previous UPA government.

    9. Kawardha

    This seat in Kabirdham district is currently held by prominent Muslim leader Mohammad Akbar. Akbar, a four-time MLA, contested the seat for the first time in 2018 and won by a huge margin of 59,284 votes against former MLA Ashok Sahu of the BJP. Akbar is the Forest Minister in the Baghel government. Akbar may face some difficulty on this seat this time as there is a possibility of polarization after the communal violence in Kawardha city in 2021.

    10. decoration

    This constituency in Bemetara district is currently held by state agriculture minister and influential Brahmin leader Ravindra Choubey. He has been MLA for seven times. The constituency witnessed communal tension earlier this year following the killing of a person from the Sahu community and the subsequent killing of two people from another community in retaliation. Due to this, polarization may affect the election results in Saja as well as Kawardha.

    11. Arang (seat reserved for Scheduled Caste)

    This constituency of Raipur district is currently represented by Urban Administration Minister Shiv Kumar Dahria, a leader of the influential Satnami sect. The majority of Scheduled Caste population in the state belongs to this community. Dahria was first elected to the Chhattisgarh Assembly in 2003 from Palari and then in 2008 from Bilaigarh seat. This time he is facing risk because Guru Baldas Saheb of Satnami sect and his supporters have recently left Congress and joined BJP. Baldas has asked for a ticket from Arang for his son Khushwant Das Saheb.

    12. Kharsia

    This seat falls in Raigarh district of northern Chhattisgarh, which is dominated by the Aghariya community of Other Backward Classes. Higher Education Minister Umesh Patel currently represents this seat which is considered a Congress stronghold. Umesh Patel was first elected from this seat in 2013 after his father and prominent Congress leader Nandkumar Patel was killed in the Jheeram Valley Naxalite attack. Nandkumar Patel was elected five times from Kharsia.

    13. Janjgir-Champa

    In this area populated by Other Backward Classes, there is a tradition of changing MLAs in every election. Senior BJP leader Narayan Chandel represents this seat. He was elected from this seat thrice (1998, 2008 and 2018) by defeating Motilal Dewangan of Congress. Dewangan had defeated him in 2003 and 2013.

  • Chhattisgarh Election: Ticket not received from Jashpur; Former minister Ganesh Ram Bhagat cried bitterly

    Internal discord seems to be increasing in BJP regarding ticket in Jashpur, Chhattisgarh. A video of former minister and senior BJP tribal leader Ganesh Ram Bhagat is going viral. In this he is seen crying and addressing the workers. Sanad Ganesh Ram Bhagat was seeking ticket from Jashpur Assembly. Tribal Suraksha Manch’s national convenor Ganesh Ram Bhagat addressed the workers and cried after not getting the ticket. However Live Hindustan does not confirm the authenticity of this video.

    Ganesh Ram Bhagat said that if it did not happen now, he went to Jashpur. BJP has fielded Raimuni Bhagat from Jashpur. If sources are to be believed, three big leaders were claiming the ticket from Jashpur. These included senior tribal group leader Ganesh Ram Bhagat, District Panchayat President Raimuni Bhagat and District President Sharda Pradhan. The party had also conducted a survey regarding these three names. Raimuni Bhagat seemed to have the upper hand among these contenders. If sources are to be believed, BJP did not want to take any risk from this assembly seat.

    If we look at the results of the last assembly elections, we find that for the first time in 35 years, BJP had to face defeat from Jashpur Assembly by 8 thousand votes. This is the third time that Raimuni Bhagat has been elected President of District Panchayat Jashpur. She has also been a member of the State Women Commission from 2016 to 2018. She is considered a strong woman leader of BJP. He is considered a staunch opponent of the Pathalgadi campaign.

    Just before the 2018 assembly elections, the Pathalgadi campaign had gained momentum in Narayanpur and Bagicha police station areas of Jashpur district. No local leader was seen opposing it. At that time Raimuni Bhagat had come into limelight and had uprooted the stones buried by Pathalgadi supporters. Then the pictures of Raimuni Bhagat uprooting the stones became a topic of discussion. There has been fear of movement of Pathalgadi supporters in these registered areas. These are the reasons why Raimuni Bhagat, who started her political journey as a District Panchayat member in 2005, has the upper hand among the ticket contenders.

  • BJP’s eyes on the voters of Sahu community in Chhattisgarh, how much power is there in the second list?

    The BJP on Monday released its second list of 64 candidates for the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. Three sitting MPs and two former IAS officers have been included in this list. More than 20 new faces are also included in the list. Nine women candidates have also been given a chance in the list. Ministers included in the cabinet of the previous Raman Singh government have also been given a chance in this list. These include Brijmohan Aggarwal, Rajesh Munat, Mahesh Gagda, Amar Aggarwal, Kedar Kashyap, Ajay Chandrakar, Punnu Lal Mohle, Bhaiya Lal Rajwade and Prem Prakash Pandey.

    Of the 64 seats for which BJP has announced candidates, 19 seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and nine for Scheduled Caste (SC). BJP state unit president and Bilaspur MP Arun Sao has been fielded from Lormi seat, Surguja MP Renuka Singh from Bharatpur-Sonhat (ST reserved) and Raigarh MP Gomti Sai has been fielded from Pathalgaon (ST). Former chief minister Raman Singh will contest from the traditional Rajnandgaon seat, while leader of opposition in the state assembly Narayan Prasad Chandel has been given the ticket again from his Zanjeer-Champa seat.

    It is known that the first list of 21 candidates announced by BJP on August 17 included 16 new faces, five former MLAs and five women. Currently, five seats (Bemetara, Khallari, Belatara, Ambikapur and Pandariya) are left for which candidates are yet to be announced. BJP’s eyes are on the votes of Sahu community in the state. This is the reason why BJP has given ticket to one Sahu against Minister Ravindra Choubey on Saja seat.

    A BJP leader said- BJP has tried to give a statewide message by giving ticket to Ishwar Sahu, father of deceased Bhuvaneshwar Sahu, who was killed in a communal clash in Biranpur a few months ago. The Sahu community has the highest number (about 12 percent) in the plains of Chhattisgarh. People of Sahu community were once traditional voters of BJP but in the 2018 elections they shifted towards Congress. This is the reason why BJP is once again wooing the Sahu community.

    On the other hand, BJP has given tickets to two leaders of Dilip Singh Judeo family from Chadrapur and Kota seats. The Judeo family has influence in the party. This is the reason why the party has given tickets to both Prabal Pratap Singh Judev, the youngest son of late Dilip Singh Judev and daughter-in-law Sanyogita Judev, from Kota and Chandrapur seats respectively. This will be Prabal Pratap’s first election while Sanyogita will be contesting for the second time. Sanyogita had lost to Ramkumar Yadav in 2018.

    BJP has also given tickets to two former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers including OP Choudhary, Neelkanth Tekam. The first impression after the list was released was that Raman Singh had played an important role in finalizing the candidates. However, after the announcement of this list, party cadres have started expressing dissatisfaction. A BJP leader said – The party has given tickets to the same old faces who had contributed to the party’s defeat in the 2018 elections.

    During the last four years, Congress has tried to create a feeling of Chhattisgarhism among the people to counter the BJP. If analysts are to be believed, it seems that BJP does not have an answer to this strategy of Congress. Political commentator Harsh Dubey says that it was expected that BJP would address Chhattisgarhism through better ticket distribution, but this did not happen.

    At the same time, Congress supporters are confident after the second list of BJP, because they believe that Congress has established a strong story of insider versus outsider. Since BJP candidates are mostly old, Congress needs to reinvigorate its 2018 campaign with more aggression and effectiveness. Another BJP leader hoping for a ticket claimed that BJP workers are not happy with the list. It was because of these upper caste ministers that we lost the 2018 elections. BJP has given him a chance once again.