Congress announces first list of 30 candidates for Chhattisgarh election

22 sitting MLAs, including chief minster Bhupesh Baghel, deputy chief minister TS Singh Deo and his all cabinet colleagues and state assembly speaker Charandas Mahant have been given tickets

Published on: Oct 15, 2023, 13:32:45 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

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The Congress on Sunday announced its first list of 30 candidates for the Chhattisgarh assembly election. The polls will be held in two phases. The first phase of polling for 20 seats will be held on November 7, and the second phase for the remaining 70 seats will be held on November 17.

CM Bhupesh Baghel will contest from the traditional Patan constituency (File Photo)

22 sitting MLAs, including chief minster Bhupesh Baghel, deputy chief minister TS Singh Deo and his all cabinet colleagues and state assembly speaker Charandas Mahant have been given tickets.

CM Baghel will contest from the traditional Patan constituency, where he will be up against his distant nephew and Durg MP Vijay Baghel, who is contesting the elections for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Deputy CM Deo has been fielded from his Ambikapur seat while Assembly Speaker Mahant has been renominated from his Sakti seat.

The party has fielded Deepak Baij, Bastar MP and Chhattisgarh Congress president, from Chitrakot seat.

Baij had won the 2018 assembly elections from Chitrakot but he vacated the seat after he won the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

Meanwhile, the party has denied tickets to eight sitting MLAs and instead has fielded nine Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates on 13 general seats.

Of the 30 seats, 14 are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST), three for Scheduled Caste (SC) categories and the rest of the 13 general seats. The party has included four women candidates, including a sitting minister and two MLAs on the list.

Cabinet minister Guru Rudra Kumar, who had contested the 2018 election from the Ahiwara seat (Durg district), has been fielded from Navagarh (SC) constituency in neighbouring Bemetara district.

Chavindra Karma, son of the sitting MLA Devti Karma and late Congress leader Mahendra Karma was given a ticket from Dantewada.

Congress leader and Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation chairman Girish Dewangan has been fielded from Rajnandgaon seat against BJP’s Raman Singh, a former chief minister and BJP’s national vice president.

Congress leaders claimed that the ticket distribution was on winnability and multiple surveys of Congress.

“The first list of Congress seems to be based upon ground surveys and strategy. Denying tickets to more than eight sitting MLAs- a rarity for Congress-- means that winnability is the prime factor in deciding tickets. Other than Jagdalpur, all first phase tickets are declared,” said a Congress leader, who was in the screening process of candidate selection.

Another Congress leader said that it seems that the chief minister played a pivotal role in ticket distribution.

“Sitting MLA Chhanni Sahu was denied a ticket because she was continuously questioning the government and was from the rival camp of Baghel. Secondly, Girish Devangan, a close friend of Baghel, who was recently in the news for ED (Enforcement Directorate) raids was fielded in front of Raman Singh from Rajanandgaon and thirdly most of the fresh faces were close to Baghel. This clearly reflects that Baghel has a greater say in ticket distribution,” said the leader.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced that the counting of votes for all five states will take place on December 3.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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