The 25 constituencies in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur division go to polls on November 17, 2023. File
| Photo Credit: Siva SaravananS
As the 25 constituencies in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur division go to polls on November 17, the Congress and the BJP could be slugging it out on this belt which sends practically a 3rd of MLAs to the 90-member State Assembly.
Among the 5 administrative divisions of the State, the Bilaspur division, situated within the central area, has the very best quantity of 25 Assembly constituencies which is able to play a crucial position in deciding the winner this time.
Notably, this was the one division which the Congress didn’t sweep in 2018, whereas the BJP, which confronted a rout elsewhere, received practically half of its State-wide tally on this area.
The division had 24 seats in 2018, of which, the Congress received 12 whereas the BJP received seven. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) received two and the then Ajit Jogi-led Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (Jogi) three.
After the brand new district of Sarangarh-Bilaigarh was created, the Bilaigarh seat, earlier within the Raipur division, was included within the Bilaspur division. Bilaigarh was received by the Congress in 2018.
The BSP, which was within the second spot in two seats in 2018, has entered into an alliance with the Gondwana Ganatantra Party (GGP) this time. The Aam Aadmi Party can also be within the fray.
Both the BJP and Congress deployed their high weapons for campaigning within the Bilaspur division this time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi held rallies within the area.
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The division consists of eight districts: Raigarh, Korba, Bilaspur, Janjgir-Champa, Sakti, Mungeli, Sarangarh-Bilaigarh and Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi (GPM).
Out of the 25 seats within the area, 5 seats every are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Scheduled Castes (SCs).
Rampur, Pali-Tanakhar, Lailunga, Dharamjaigarh and Marwahi are ST seats, whereas Sarangarh, Bilaigarh, Pamgarh, Mungeli and Masturi seats are reserved for SC candidates.
Chhattisgarh BJP chief and Bilaspur MP Arun Sao claimed that as per inside surveys, the saffron get together might win 20 of the 25 seats.
Mr. Sao, who’s himself within the fray from Lormi, mentioned the get together has fielded both recent faces in addition to senior leaders from the division.
Leader of Opposition Narayan Chandel (Janjgir-Champa seat), former IAS officer O P Chaudhary (Raigarh), two members of the household of BJP stalwart late Dilip Singh Judev — Sanyogita Judev (Chandrapur) and Prabal Pratap Singh Judev (Kota) — are amongst different key BJP candidates on this division.
On the Congress’s half, it’s conscious that it didn’t carry out too properly within the division final time.
The get together, subsequently, did elaborate planning for campaigning within the division, mentioned Sushil Anand Shukla, chairman of the media cell of the state Congress.
“We won the state with a three-fourths majority last time, but could not do well in the Bilaspur division,” Mr. Shukla advised PTI.
Top leaders like Mr. Kharge, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi aggressively campaigned within the area this time, he identified.
The area can also be a distinguished agricultural belt, and procurement of paddy at ₹2,600 per quintal by the Congress authorities within the final 5 years and its NYAY scheme will assist the get together within the polls, Mr. Shukla mentioned.
The Congress has additionally promised to hike the paddy procurement price to ₹3200 per quintal and waive agricultural loans if it retains energy.
These guarantees and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s picture as a farmer-OBC chief may even assist the Congress, he mentioned.
“We will recover the last time’s losses,” Mr. Shukla asserted.
But tripolar or multipolar contests could be the deciding think about many seats within the area the place Chhattisgarh’s first Chief Minister late Ajit Jogi had appreciable affect.
Both the nationwide events, nevertheless, declare that the competition might be bipolar.
“Almost 95% of leaders of the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (Jogi) have joined the Congress,” mentioned Congress MLA Shailesh Pandey.
Mr. Pandey, incumbent MLA from Bilaspur, is going through the BJP’s Amar Agrawal, a four-time MLA and former minister. Mr. Pandey had defeated Agrawal in 2018.
Assembly Speaker Charandas Mahant (Sakti seat) and State Ministers Umesh Patel (Kharsia) and Jaisingh Agrawal (Korba) are amongst distinguished candidates from the ruling get together on this division.
