Lok Sabha polls: Two women leaders fight it out in Chhattisgarh’s Korba seat

BJP candidate and former Rajya Sabha member, Saroj Pandey, is contesting against Congress’ sitting MP Jyotsana Mahant in Chhattisgarh’s Korba Lok Sabha constituency

In Chhattisgarh’s Korba Lok Sabha constituency, two top women leaders are in the fray this time.

Saroj Pandey (left) and Jyotsana Mahant (right).

BJP candidate and former Rajya Sabha member Saroj Pandey is contesting against Congress’ sitting member of Parliament (MP) from Korba, Jyotsana Mahant. Jyotsana is also the wife of leader of Opposition in the state assembly and former Korba MP, Charandas Mahant.

Saroj is referred as ‘Didi’ (sister) by her party workers while Jyotsana is called ‘Bhabhi’ (sister-in-law) by her supporters.

Korba Lok Sabha constituency was carved out of Janjgir Champa constituency in 2009, when Charandas won defeating the BJP’s Karuna Shukla. In 2014, Mahant lost to tbhe BJP’s Banshilal Mahto by a thin margin of 4,265 votes. In 2019, the Congress fielded Mahant’s wife Jyotsana, who defeated the BJP’s Jyotinand Dubey.

Korba Lok Sabha seat has eight assembly constituencies, Bharatpur-Sonhat, Baikunthpur, Manendragarh, Marwahi, Katghora, Pali -Tanakhar, Rampur and Korba. Except Pali Tanakhar all others were won by tnhe BJP in the 2023 Assembly elections. Korba, known as the industrial capital of the state, has many small and big coal-based industries.

While the Congress is trying to make it an ‘insider versus outsider’ fight, the BJP is heavily banking on independent candidate Tuleshwar Hira Singh Markam to win the seat.

A Congress leader said the BJP will benefit if Markam gets a good number of votes. Markam is also an MLA from Pali Tanakhar and has good influence in the region.

“It is a fact that the local party leaders are not happy with Pandey because she is relying on the party workers of Durg from where she belongs,” said a BJP leader. As local workers are resisting her candidature, Union home minister, Amit Shah, held a public meeting at Katghora a couple of days ago and met senior party leaders to address their grievances, he said, adding that they hope that all party workers will ensure her victory.

On the other hand, the Congress is facing anti-incumbency in the area, particularly in rural areas where Mahant got a major share of votes.

“People were very angry with Jyotsna Mahant because she was not accessible and had not visited the area from where she got votes. Things have changed since the past fortnight when Charan Das Mahant took charge of the campaign,” a senior district Congress leader said.

However, both Congress and BJP leaders said that their contest would be close. “Tribals play an important role in Korba seat. It seems like a close fight, but the BJP has an edge, because of the overall national narrative they have been able to create. Charandas Mahant is an experienced election manager and working hard to retain the seat for his wife, but this is only possible if he manages to get a huge chunk of rural votes,” said Harsh Dubey, a political commentator based in Chhattisgarh.

Locals believe that issues like man-elephant conflict, pollution and tree felling of Hasdeo were not addressed by any party.

“People are dying due to man –elephant conflict but not a single leader of the party is raising the issue. Secondly, Korba is one of the most polluted cities of Chhattisgarh, but no one pays heed to this issue … Unemployment and Hasdeo are the biggest issues here, but who is raising it?” said Sarthak Pandey, a Commerce graduate and a resident of Darri town.