In a state that saw the biggest ever Maoist attack on a political convoy,one would have expected insurgency to ring prominently in the run-up to the polls. It has not. In Chhattisgarh,Maoists are not a poll issue for either the BJP or the Congress,which lost top leaders including state chief Nand Kumar Patel in the attack. It did shake both parties initially,with politicians blaming one another for siding with Maoists. Now,amid the usual clamour for tickets,a strategy to tackle Maoists is not on either partys agenda. It is,however,events in the wake of the attack that will dominate the polls. The leadership vacuum it created in the Congress has led to a battle for succession with former chief minister Ajit Jogi quickly galvanising his men to form a front that comprises members both within the party and without. He has openly supported rebel candidates against certain party leaders,with the high command in talks with him over a possible understanding. The new PCC president,CD Mahant,has struggled to keep the party united. Until May,it was the BJP that had been on the back foot because of anti-incumbency and because Patels leadership had brought all Congress factions together. The attack initially appeared to tilt the scales farther towards the Congress amid a massive sympathy wave and charges that Chief Minister Raman Singhs government faced of lapses in security for Congress leaders. It did not last. A month after the attack,a rebel backed by Jogi defeated the Congress nominee in a Bastar nagar panchayat poll. The Congresss yatra carrying the ashes of its slain leaders failed to evoke a public response. And the BJP is keen to exploit the disarray. Jogi is a bonus for us. He can swing at least 10-15 seats in the plains, says an aide of Raman Singh,who is eyeing a third term. The BJP has launched a massive campaign. Singh resumed his Vikas Yatra,toured the state with his ministers and officials,and announced populist schemes. Congress leaders,meanwhile,have either camped outside 10 Janpath or hosted iftar and dinner parties at home. Hardly any attempt has been made to meet people and draft manifestoes. Its a strange party. Elections are ahead,but they are busy at dinner and breakfast parties. Is this the team of Rahul Gandhi? Singh recently told The Indian Express. Its still a close fight. In an assembly of 90 seats,a margin of five can be decisive. The BJP won the last two polls thanks to Bastar 9 of 12 seats in 2003,11 in 2008. Even the latest surveys have put the BJP only marginally ahead with 44-plus seats to the Congresss 40-plus. The BJP got 50 seats in the last polls but several senior ministers and MLAs now face public discontent,and some top leaders may be denied tickets. Smaller parties such as the CPI,the Chhattisgarh Swabhiman Manch and the BSP are keen to register a presence. The elections are significant for Maoists,too. They have boycotted the polls but local comrades do not rule out covert tie-ups with politicians. Maoist Podiyam Linga,recently arrested for the murder of powerful BJP leader Shivdayal Tomar in Dantewada,told media in the presence of a police superintendent and CRPF officers that he had campaigned for the party last time. He claimed close relations with Dantewada BJP MLA Bheema Mandavi,who denied it. The intel department has reportedly received inputs about the possibility of an attack on BJP leaders during the assembly polls. BJP MLA from Jagdalpur Santosh Bafna has introduced an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh for partymen who will campaign in sensitive areas. While the Congress has demanded CCTV cameras at all polling booths in Bastar,it has been silent on the insurgency that almost decimated it in Chhattisgarh. Hours after the Darbha attack,Rahul Gandhi had flown down to Raipur and addressed his colleagues. Last week,he addressed a rally in Jagdalpur. On both occasions,he brought up the death of his partymen but did not name the rebels or an elaborate a strategy for tackling them. For his part,Chief Minister Singh has not spoken about Maoists either.
