RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh is set to witness a bipolar contest between the BJP and the Congress across the 11 Lok Sabha polls to be held in three-phase polling.
With its slogan ‘Hum Ne Banaya Hai, Hum Hi Sawarenge’ (we have created the state and we will nurture it), the ruling BJP is hopeful of striking a chord with the voters.
In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has consistently increased its vote share and trounced the Congress winning ten out of the 11 seats from 1998 barring the 2019 polls when it won from nine constituencies.
Taking the credit for a separate Chhattisgarh, the party kept underlining that since the state was created by the Atal Behari Vajpayee government in November 2000, the onus of its development now lies with the BJP.
Notably, while the saffron party ruled the state for 15 years, the Congress helmed the government for eight years.
Though the Congress may not have won beyond two seats in the Lok Sabha polls but the difference of vote percent secured by it and the arch rival BJP doesn’t appear too significant.
In 2014 polls, the share of BJP vote per cent was 49.7 while that of the Congress 39.1 per cent. The next election in 2019 again witnessed a difference of 10 percent between the two national parties with the BJP at (50.7) and Congress (40.9).
All along the Lok Sabha polls held in the last 20 years (after Chhattisgarh came into existence), the Congress has never won from any reserved seat except the Bastar in 2019 polls. Except this, the BJP always emerged victorious in the four reserved tribal constituencies of Bastar, Kanker, Sarguja, Raigarh and a reserved Scheduled Caste of Janjgir-Champa.
An analysis of the previous Lok Sabha poll results showed the national issues did carry an impact on the choice of the voters in the state. This year, the BJP seems confident of garnering support on the planks of ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’, Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, alleged corruption and scam during Congress. Among other issues, the party is also banking on achievements like Citizenship Amendment Act, revocation of Article 370 (special status to J&K) to give a major boost to its political fortune.
On the other hand, the Congress is strongly relying on its five ‘Nyay’ guarantees focussing on farmers, women, youths, labourers, though the party faces an apparent uphill battle to counter the allegations of corruption.
In the 2023 Assembly polls, the BJP returned to power in the state bagging 46.27% vote share (4% less than what it got in 2019 Lok Sabha polls), while the Congress 42.23%. The BJP now aspires to increase its vote share by minimum of 10 percent from the 2023 elections.
Though the Congress continues to trust its vote bank, it is equally watchful about the BJP’s coordinated efforts to “decimate” the opposition.
As per analysts, the BJP hopes to break into the Congress vote bank as several leaders have defected to the BJP as the party is trying to induct cadres from other party to raise its prospects in meeting its target of achieving at least 60% vote share this time in the upcoming polls.
Several disgruntled Congress leaders and unhappy cadres have in recent weeks left the party to join the BJP. Responding to it, a senior Congress leader and former Speaker Charandas Mahant said the mistakes committed by ex-CM Baghel, Congress leaders (including him) and party workers led to defeat of the party in Chhattisgarh 2023 assembly polls. The polling in Chhattisgarh for 11 LS seats will be held in three-phase on April 19, April 26 and May 7. Maoist threat: The presence of the left-wing extremists in pockets of Lok Sabha constituencies like Bastar, Kanker, Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund apparently led the Election Commission to hold elections in three phases in Chhattisgarh with over 80,000 security personnel deployed.
Three-phase polling: The polling in the Maoist-hit Bastar will be in the first phase on April 19. The second phase on April 26 and the third phase will be on May 7.