Chhattisgarh: Congress and BJP grapple with ticket distribution difficulties on poll eve

With the ruling Congress party facing challenges and the BJP strategically positioning its candidates, the electoral landscape is becoming increasingly intriguing.

As Chhattisgarh gears up for the upcoming elections, political dynamics are fast evolving, with a focus on OBC (Other Backward Classes) politics and concerns among tribal communities taking centrestage. With the ruling Congress party facing challenges and the BJP strategically positioning its candidates, the electoral landscape is becoming increasingly intriguing.

OBC Politics: A Decisive Factor

In a previous analysis, the significance of Sahu voters in the upcoming polls was highlighted. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continues to emphasise the communal clash that occurred in Biranpur of Bemetara District, resulting in the tragic death of Bhuneshwar Sahu.

This incident has further fuelled dissatisfaction among Sahu voters with the Congress-led government. Rumours are circulating about Bhuneshwar's father receiving a BJP ticket to challenge senior Congress leader and state cabinet minister Ravindra Chaubey.

Politics revolving around the OBCs is gaining momentum in the state. Recently, Priyanka Gandhi, in Chhattisgarh's Kanker District, pledged to conduct a caste census if the Congress regains power. This promise could prove to be a potent magnet for OBC voters, who are loosely estimated to be around half of the state's population in the absence of caste-wise data.

Tribal Concerns Loom Large

The Congress party faces the challenge of retaining several tribal-dominated seats in the upcoming elections. In the previous election, Congress performed exceptionally well in tribal seats due to significant anti-incumbency sentiment against the ruling BJP government.

However, the BJP has skillfully kept the issue of religious conversion simmering for the past three years, with the impact of these concerns being particularly pronounced in three tribal districts: Narayanpur, Kondagaon, and Kanker.

BJP's Ticket Distribution Woes

The BJP has adopted several key issues as the focal points of its election campaign. These include highlighting concerns related to religious conversion, unfulfilled promises of prohibition, allegations of a liquor scam, and pervasive corruption within the government.

One notable strategy employed by the BJP is the participation of MPs in the assembly elections. Drawing inspiration from Madhya Pradesh, where BJP fielded its Union cabinet ministers in assembly elections, the party has more lists of tickets pending, which increases the likelihood of BJP MPs participating in the assembly elections.

However, the BJP is grappling with internal disarray, as a list of tickets was leaked on a WhatsApp group by a senior journalist formerly closely associated with the party. This leak triggered protests from BJP leaders and workers, who opposed the party's decision to offer tickets to perceived "outsiders," such as Anuj Sharma, a Chhattisgarhi Film Actor.

Sharma's name featured on the leaked list, which showed him as a ticket recipient from Dharsiwa. In response, Sharma's effigy was burnt outside the BJP party's office. Many such protests by partymen have occurred following this incident of the leak. In Kharasiya and Rajim assembly seats too, the party is witnessing revolt against the “candidates”.

This is unusual for BJP as such rebellious scenes against the leadership is a rarity. Senior state party leaders have been summoned to the BJP headquarters in BJP, which is seeking a  report on the incident.

The Congress party is observing this internal turmoil within the BJP with amusement. Additionally, Raman Singh continues to wield substantial influence within the state BJP in ticket allocation decisions, causing unease among some senior leaders.

Congress' Strategy and Challenges

The Congress party is contemplating cutting one-fourth of its sitting MLAs ticket. They are also closely monitoring the BJP's ticket distribution strategy and intend to strategically place candidates based on the BJP's choices. Congress also enjoys an advantage among farmers as they are beneficiaries of paddy procurement at a higher Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme.

However, not everything appears to be smooth sailing for Congress either. In the Surguja region, Congress had won all 14 seats in the previous election. Yet, tensions between Chief Minister Baghel and TS Singhdeo persist, and Singhdeo seems less enthusiastic than in 2018 when he harboured ambitions of becoming the state's next Chief Minister.

With the release of one list of candidates by the BJP, it is evident that the party is fielding strong contenders. For instance, a former Member of Parliament is entering the assembly election fray, as indicated in the initial list of candidates. The upcoming Chhattisgarh elections promise to be a closely watched political battle, shaped by issues of caste, religion, tribal concerns, and party dynamics.

Harsh Dubey is a political commentator based in Raipur. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of the publication.