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Why is Congress yet to announce candidates for Chhattisgarh polls? Deputy CM reasons
The BJP has already announced its first 21 candidates for elections to the 90-seat assembly, which are likely to be held in November.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already declared its first list of candidates for the Chhattisgarh assembly election, it is not incumbent upon the Congress to do the same as the grand old party goes by a procedure to finalise its candidates, deputy chief minister TS Singh Deo remarked on Saturday.
Also Read: BJP releases first list of candidates for 21 seats in Chhattisgarh
If the Congress wants, it can announce its candidates today itself, or a month before the assembly poll, Deo noted.
“It has been seen that the (party's) situation may not be the same across each assembly segment. If we want, we can announce our list today itself, or at least a month before the election; why do you think deliberations must be held to decide which constituency the chief minister will contest from?” Deo said.
The BJP has fielded its Lok Sabha MP from the state, Vijay Baghel, against CM Bhupesh Baghel from Patan; the former is the CM's nephew.
The deputy chief minister, meanwhile, further stated: “As we all know, there are people who are more than likely to contest. But the Congress has a procedure in place and we will like to go by that…just because they (the BJP) have announced, it does not mean we have to do the same. First, there will be a screening of names, which will then be forwarded to the senior leadership, who will then take the call.”
Also Read: List of BJP's first 21 candidates for Chhattisgarh polls
In November 2018, the Congress ousted its arch-rival from power in Chhattisgarh, forming its first government here since 2003; throughout this period, the saffron party was in power in the central state under the chief ministership of Raman Singh.
