Maoist-affected Chitrakot constituency in Chattisgarh to go into bypolls

As many as 1,67, 722 voters will be able to exercise their franchise across 229 polling booths of the constituency.

Published on: Oct 20, 2019, 16:49:18 IST

Hindustan Times, Raipur | By Ritesh Mishra

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Bypolls for the Maoist-affected Chitrakot constituency in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), will be held on Monday.

Congress candidate Rajman Benjam files nomination for the bye-election from the Chitrakot Assembly seat as CM Bhupesh Baghel also present, on Monday. (ANI Photo)

As many as 1,67, 722 voters will be able to exercise their franchise across 229 polling booths of the constituency.

Total six candidates are in the fray for the bypoll. The Congress has fielded, Rajman Benzam, a local tribal leader and president of the Bastar District Congress (Rural), while the BJP has given ticket to former MLA Lachhuram Kashyap. Deepak Baij of the Congress was the incumbent MLA but his election to Lok Sabha necessitated the bypoll.

Campaigning in this constituency concluded on Saturday following which the candidates have started door-to-door campaign in the constituency.

Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel led the Congress’ campaign where he highlighted several pro-farmers and pro-tribal policies initiated by the government in the last ten months.

BJP national vice president and former CM Raman Singh and Leader of the opposition Dharamlal Kaushik led the election campaign for BJP. They blamed the government for inaction and ditching tribals and farmers.

“We have made all arrangements for peaceful election in Chitrakot by-election. Around 8,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces have been deployed and combing operation in the nearby area is going on,” said DM Awasthi, director general of police (DGP).

In the 2018 assembly election, Congress’s Deepak Baij defeated Lachhuram Kahyap of BJP by 17,770 votes.

“Congress has just won Dantewada by-poll which will surely have an impact on Chitrakot by-poll. Secondly, the earlier MLA who is now MP , Deepak Baij is one of the tallest leader of Bastar hence BJP has many things to worry,” said Ashok Tomar, a political commentator based in Raipur.

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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