2nd phase of Chhattisgarh polls today
RAIPUR: The curtain comes down on the Chhattisgarh assembly elections on Tuesday with 72 seats spread across 19 districts going to the polls in the second phase. In the first phase of polling in 18 seats in Maoist strongholds on November 12, about 76% of the voters had exercised their franchise.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eyeing a fourth straight term for chief minister Raman Singh while the Congress is looking for a comeback after 15 years. In the 2013 election, the difference in vote share between the two parties in the state was less than one percentage point (0.75%). The BJP had won 49 seats, Congress got 39 and BSP and an independent bagged one each.
The 15 million voters in the second phase on Tuesday will also decide fate of former chief minister Ajit Jogi, whose Janata Congress Chhattisgarh is fighting the election in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Jogi is banking on the Satnami community and scheduled castes who hold influence in 58 of the 72 seats in the plains of Chhattisgarh.
In all, 1,079 candidates are in the fray on Tuesday, including nine cabinet ministers, leader of opposition TS Singhdeo and state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel, apart from Jogi, his wife Renu Jogi and daughter-in-law Richa Jogi. At least 100,000 security personnel including 607 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed. As per the election commission, 46 of the 72 seats are general, nine are SC seats and 17 reserved for ST. In the 2013 elec- are up for grabs in Chhattisgarh today tions, the BJP had won 43 seats while Congress had won 27. One seat each was won by BSP and an independent candidate.
During the campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed the Gandhi family was “out on bail” in corruption charges while applauding Raman Singh for bringing developmental change.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi focussed on targeting Raman Singh with charges of corruption.
The Congress also promised prohibition, food processing hubs and farm loan waiver within 10 days of coming to power .
Of these 19 districts, seven are Maoists affected but the presence of rebels is much less than that in Bastar. “Special strategy has been formulated for these districts. We have deployed special task force (STF), companies of district reserve guards (DRG) and COBRA in these districts,” said special director general (antinaxal operations) DM Awasthi. AMIT SHAH, BJP chief Every election is a challenge, and each election is different. Over the last 15 years, we have tirelessly worked for the welfare of the people and voters have seen our performance. We hope they will stand by us. The kind of response we have received during the election campaign has taken the pressure off us. Anti-incumbency works against a government that fails to live up to the expectation of people. If you compare what Chhattisgarh was 15 years back and where it stands now, you will realise that there is a positive mood for the BJP. There is no anti-incumbency. KAMAL NATH, MP Cong president He has a limited appeal, and he will not have much impact. What people are missing is that former CM Ajit Jogi, who also has considerable influence among Satnami voters, is also in the fray. He has an alliance with the BSP and is eating into the Congress’s vote share. This unity in the Congress is cosmetic. Their leadership remains divided. There have been so many reports about a fight between the Congress leadership in Chhattisgarh. There are many factions, and several chief ministerial aspirants. You are talking about regrouping, but the divide is so deep that their leaders do not even sit together in a helicopter. The BJP has a well-oiled organisational structure in Chhattisgarh, the leadership of a charismatic leader like Narendra Modi, and unity among its leaders. The Congress is no match for the BJP. JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA, MP Cong campaign committee chairman
15MN VOTERS Farm, development in focus; JOGIBSP alliance may dent BJP and Cong
Jogi was given a golden opportunity by Sonia [Gandhi] ji and the Congress leadership. He had only two MLAS with him when the state was formed. Jogi was seen as a capable person to rule the state, but he lost his chance. He wanted to create his own team, resulting in groupism. This led to the Congress losing the election. We are happy that Jogi is not with the Congress because he was sabotaging the party and helping the BJP. He is with the BJP; he is working for the BJP. But the Congress is getting a clear majority this time. It may have been so in 2008 but not now because Raman Singh did not fulfil his poll promises. His schemes are not working, electricity situation is bad, and all this has affected his image. I don’t think there is infighting in the Congress in Chhattisgarh. Nobody talks about the infighting in the BJP. Isn’t there a fight between Raman Singh and [agriculture minister] Brijmohan Agarwal? Everyone knows who leaked documents showing Agarwal in bad light. And documents regarding scams by Raman Singh are also being leaked. Who is doing it in the BJP?