Congress not decided on CM candidate, BJP backs Raman Singh

In the December 2003 polls, the BJP neither projected anyone as its candidate for chief ministership nor fielded any of its senior leaders in the elections. Veteran tribal leader and the then leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Nand Kumar Sai, who was a potential aspirant for the top post, was not allowed to contest from his hometown. The party asked him to contest against the then chief minister Ajit Jogi on the latter’s home turf, Marwahi constituency.

As expected, the tribal leader lost the election to Jogi. After winning the elections, the BJP selected the then state party president Raman Singh as leader of the BJP legislature party. Being the incumbent chief minister, the BJP has already made it clear that Raman would head its team again in the event of party retaining power in next month’s elections.

Meanwhile, both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress are expected to announce their candidates in a couple of days for the first phase of elections in 39 out of the 90 constituencies scheduled for November 14. There are indications that the ruling party is all set to deny tickets to more than a dozen sitting legislators so as to introduce new faces in the forthcoming elections.

The BJP state election committee, in its two-day meeting here, has already discussed and finalised its list of candidates, which would be submitted to the central election committee at its meeting scheduled to be held in Delhi on October 21.

Congress sources said hectic parleys were on in Delhi to finalise the party candidates in the next few days. PCC president Dhanendra Sahu and his two working presidents, former chief minister Ajit Jogi, leader of the opposition Mahendra Karma, former Union minister V C Shukla had meetings with screening committee chairman P J Kurian and arrived at a consensus on 42 candidates. Discussions are still on to finalise the list of candidates for the remaining constituencies.

Filing of nominations in 39 Assembly segments of Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Durg, Kawardha, Rajnandgaon, Kanker, Bastar, Narayanpur, Dantewada and Bijapur districts, where polls are scheduled for the first phase on November 14, will begin on Monday. The last date for filing of nomination is October 27, and scrutiny will take place on October 29. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 31.