With the state going to polls early next year, its first since the bifurcation from Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has flashed its Hindutva card in Chhattisgarh too.Party president Venkaiah Naidu will be in Raipur tomorrow, along with two Union ministers Ramesh Bais and Raman Singh, to fire the first salvo at Chief Minister Ajit Jogi at Palari, 70 km from here. Widow gets BJP ticket Surat: The BJP high command has nominated Bhavna Chapatwala, widow of former Law minister Hemant Chapatwala, as party candidate for Surat (West) Assembly seat, which will go to polls on January 9. “Bhavna’s name was unanimously agreed to by state party leaders yesterday,” BJP leader Jayanti Barot said. — PTI They will preside over the Guru Ghasi Dass Jayanti celebrations, who happens to be a revered Satnami Samaj leader, to encash on the growing discontentment among the members of the samaaj against the ruling Congress.BJP MP P.R. Khunte has organised this parallel function alongside the official function to be attended by Jogi. An orchestrated campaign by the VHP and Sangh Parivar against the Chief Minister is already worrying the Congress leaders.State VHP chief Romesh Modi said: ‘‘The success story of Gujarat will be replicated in Chhattisgarh. Whenever BJP assigns us duty, VHP will be out to support the party in any form.’’ ‘The task is easier than Gujarat. It’s neither a Hindu vs Muslim nor a Hindu vs Christian fight, but a Hindu vs Jogi war,’’ he added. And BJP Legislature Party leader Nand Kumar Sai endorsed his assessment. ‘‘We will ask Jogi as to who is behind the conversions and a church versus temple battle in Chhattisgarh,’’ Sai said.He admitted that Hindutva was very much a part of BJP’s agenda in Chhattisgarh, as ‘‘for the BJP, it is a question of national pride. And not what pseudo-secularists (read Congress) allege against us’’. Jogi, however, ruled out any threat from the BJP and its allies. ‘‘In Chhattisgarh, the Hindutva card holds no ground. Unlike in Gujarat, the people have never got swayed by the Hindutva wave. The Congress is well-entrenched here and fully capable of countering divisive attempts by communal forces,’’ he said.
