The ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh can make a major change in ticket allocation in the upcoming assembly elections. According to the internal survey, tickets of almost a quarter of the MLAs may be cut. The party has prepared an internal survey report to avoid anti-incumbency wave. Congress is fully prepared to increase the number of women candidates in the state. Reliable sources of the party gave this information on Thursday.
According to party insiders, the decision to remove sitting MLAs is based on internal surveys conducted by the party in the last five months. ‘Winning potential’ has been considered the most important criterion for awarding tickets. The assembly elections in the state are being considered as the semi-finals before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In such a situation, the party has planned not to give tickets to those leaders whose political hold in their area has weakened.
Sources said the list of candidates has almost been finalized and the lists will be released after the Congress Central Election Committee meeting. “This time many sitting MLAs will be removed. The party is focusing on winnability and caste dynamics. Earlier, camps used to decide certain tickets but this time only ‘winnability’ is the criteria,” said a senior Congress leader, claiming that the list will be out in the next week.
Another Congress leader from Chhattisgarh said that most of these sitting MLAs have become MLAs for the first time. He said, “Many people who became MLAs for the first time in the 2018 elections came from jobs and social services and won in the Congress wave due to their clean image. Most of them failed to serve as elected representatives due to lack of experience. Furthermore, his domineering attitude and lack of understanding of the organization also led to factionalism within the party among party workers. “That’s why they don’t look winnable right now.”
The number of women may increase
Another senior party leader claimed that the party may increase the number of tickets given to women this time. Another senior leader, requesting anonymity, said, “In the 2018 elections, we have given tickets to 12 women candidates for the assembly and later in the by-election of Khairgarh constituency, another woman was given the ticket. Therefore, a total of 13 women were given tickets, but in the elections this number could be between 18 to 20.” However, sources said that some senior leaders want tickets for women to be increased but this is completely unlikely to win. But it is.
Every community will get a chance
Another leader said that the main focus in the elections is on the ability to win and local issues and also giving opportunities to local castes and people. The focus is on ensuring that every community is represented and regional politics are other factors that are also considered. Loyalty towards the party is also a big factor in getting a ticket.
It is noteworthy that in the 2018 assembly elections, Congress won 68 out of 90 assembly seats in the state and defeated the BJP, which was in power for 15 years under the leadership of Raman Singh. BJP was successful in winning only 15 seats.
The BJP, which is hoping to make a comeback in Chhattisgarh in the assembly elections to be held later this year, had released its first list of candidates for 21 seats on August 17. The first list included 16 new faces, five former MLAs and five women. This time the party has not given ticket to even a single candidate who contested from these seats in 2018.