The Hindu : Other States / Chattisgarh News : `Lotus' all the way in CM's constituency

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Wednesday, Apr 14, 2004

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`Lotus' all the way in CM's constituency

DONGARGAON (CHHATTISGARH), APRIL 13. It is `lotus' all the way in this remote Assembly constituency from where Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Raman Singh, is almost certain to enter the portals of the state Assembly in the April 20 by-election.

The by-election has been necessitated following the resignation of Pradip Gandhi, who vacated seat to pave the way for Singh, a member of the dissolved Lok Sabha from Rajnandgaon, to become an MLA. In a reversal of roles, Gandhi is trying to enter the Lok Sabha from Rajnandgaon.

A visit to the dusty assembly constituency, a segment of Rajnandgaon, reveals that the victory of Singh is almost a foregone conclusion.

BJP is much ahead of the nearest Congress rival Geeta Devi Singh so far as electioneering is concerned. Saffron flags, banners and blaring loudspeakers attract the attention of voters, who are enthusiastic to elect not only ``our MLA'' but ``our Chief Minister''.

The voters appear to be ``feeling good'' at the prospect of sending the Chief Minister as their representative to the assembly and are pinning high hopes on Singh for the all round development of the rural area.

Besides the BJP and Congress candidates, there is an aspirant each from BSP, Chhattisgarh Samaj Party, RPI(A), RPI(K) and an independent, but none can be considered a force to reckon with.

An opitmistic 55-year old Krishna Singh Chauhan, who runs cycle shop in the main bazar, said if a candidate was to win with the narrowest margin of just one vote, it would be none else but Raman Singh.

He, however, said it was not true that the Congress candidate was nowhere in the picture. Geeta devi, as a Chhattisgarh state minister, had done a lot for the constituency, a traditional Congress seat, which went to the BJP for the first time in the last assembly elections.

hough Pradip Gandhi was elected as a BJP MLA, people in the area remember the development work done or initiated by the former Congress minister, says youth Congress leader Mohammad Tahir.

However, with a Chief Minister representative in the race, the things have taken a different turn and people expect development by leaps and bounds, explains Vijay Lal Nahata, a cloth merchant.

``We have enough water for drinking and irrigation, our energy position is good and there are schools, colleges and hospitals in the area,'' a number of villagers said and pointed out at the rapid pace of construction of roads to connect the village to the nearest towns.

Pradip's cousin, Dinesh, who is the BJP Rajnandgaon district unit secretary, said that as a BJP MP Raman Singh had got the World Bank schemes initiated for the development of this area and had sanctioned Rs. four crore for roads, drains and street lights in Dongargaon.

There are no caste undercurrents in this constituency having barely 1.12 lakh voters. Development is the only issue and a poster reads ``feel good ka kya pehchan? Raman Singh aur Kamal nishan."

According to Dayashankar Khandelwal, BJP's local media incharge, there is no contest at all. So much so, the Congress has closed down its campaign office as if it has conceded defeat, he says pointing to the rolled down shutters outside a building from where Congress poll managers functioned.

But, Mohammad Tahir, state youth Congress general secretary, does not agree. He says Congress is doing its campaign without much fanfare unlike BJP. Voters remember the good work done by Geeta Devi Singh and there is no need to tom tom, Tahir argues.

Geeta Devi Singh, who has represented the Dongargaon seat thrice, had lost to Gandhi in the first ever assembly election in Chhattisgarh after it came into being in November 2000.

But, Gandhi quit to help Raman Singh fulfil the mandatory requirement of becoming a member of the assembly within six months of assuming chief ministership.

BJP workers said the Chief Minister was not complacent and was touring as many villages as possible to establish direct contact with the people despite the strong heat wave conditions sweeping the vast stretches of barren land all around.

They pointed out that even before the election process began, Raman Singh stole a march over others by embarking on a tour of the consitutency and initiating several development works like widening of roads and provision of drinking water in villages.

PTI

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