Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh to face Vajpayee’s niece in polls

RAIPUR: The Congress on Monday fielded former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s niece Karuna Shukla against chief minister Raman Singh in the Rajnandgaon assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh.

In the second list released by the party for the first phase of Chhattisgarh assembly election, the party declared its candidates for the remaining six constituencies. It earlier declared candidates for 12 seats. The first phase of polling for the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will be held on November 12 .

Shukla was a member of 14th Lok Sabha from Janjir constituency. In 2009, she contested against Congress leader Charandas Mahant from Korba constituency and lost.

Subsequently, she was sidelined by the BJP after which she joined the Congress in 2014.

She contested Lok Sabha election from Bilaspur constituency in 2014 and was defeated by BJP’s Lakhan Lal Sahu.

In the list released on Monday, the Congress re-nominated two sitting MLAs .

Three new faces who have been fielded are Channi Sahu (Khujji), Bhuvneshwar Singh Baghel (Dongargarh) and Indra Shah Mandavi (Mohla-Manpur).“No one can match the popularity of chief minister Raman Singh in the constituency. Everyone knows what he has done for Rajnandgaon,” said Sacchinand Upasane, BJP spokesperson. Janata Congress Chhattisgarh’s ( JCC) chief Ajit Jogi had earlier said that he will fight against Raman Singh from Rajnandgaon, but on Saturday Jogi declared that he will not fight assembly elections and will concentrate on campaigning.

“The fight in Rajnandgaon will be interesting if Jogi is not fighting. Jogi would have harmed Congress only but now Raman Singh has to prove himself,” said Ashok Tomar, political commentator in Raipur.