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Lok Sabha election 2019: In Chhattisgarh, Congress hopes to continue assembly winning streak
The Congress, which ousted the BJP in Chhattisgarh after 15 years, wants to retain the momentum for the Lok Sabha elections
The Congress is aiming to win back the Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund and Kanker parliamentary constituencies in Maoist-hit Chhattisgarh riding on its massive win in the state polls last year.
The Congress wrested power in the state after 15 years in Chhattisgarh in a landslide victory as it promised to waive farm loans and empower the weaker sections and backward communities. It wants to retain the momentum from the assembly polls, in which it won a two-thirds majority. The BJP is aiming to highlight the policies of the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is popular in the state.
Also read: In Chhattisgarh, a tough fight for the backward vote
The Congress party has fielded Bholaram Sahu in the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha, one of the 11 parliamentary constituencies in Chhattisgarh which is polling in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election 2019 on Thursday.
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Sahu is pitted against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Santosh Pandey, who was given the ticket in place of Abhishek Singh. Singh is the sitting member of Parliament from Rajnandgaon, once a bastion of the Congress party, and the son of former chief minister Raman Singh.
Also in the fray is Ravita Lakra (Dhruv) of the Bahujan Samaj Party.
In Mahasamund, two-time lawmaker Chunnilal Sahu of the BJP will try to keep the seat for the party as he fights the Congress’ Dhanendra Sahu and Dhansing Kosariya of the BSP.
The BJP’s Mohan Mandavi, Congress leader Biresh Thakur and Sube Singh Dhurva of the BSP are contesting in Kanker, where the ruling party at the Centre has been winning since 1998. The Maoist-affected Kanker has seen a tough fight between the BJP and Congress in the past.
Also read: All about Chhattisgarh
The votes will be counted on May 23.