Opinion Message from Chhattisgarh electorate to Congress: Our vote is not for sale
Voters were not moved by financial benefits. They were not polarised on religious or caste lines. They have proved that their ballot is not a commodity that can be bought by a government or party
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel submitted his resignation letter to Governor Vishwabhushan Harichandan. (Facebook/INC - Chhattisgarh) 
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Defying almost every exit poll, the Chhattisgarh voter has voted the Congress out of office. The over-confident Congress is likely shocked — it clearly expected to return to power with a majority. The ruling party announced cash benefits running into thousands of crores. So why did the electorate give the BJP a clear mandate, especially since its manifesto was not as generous as that of the incumbent?
The biggest lesson from the 2023 Assembly election is that the common person in Chhattisgarh is not moved, at least not solely, by the lure of “benefits”. Congress had promised loan waivers to farmers and women self-help groups. Then there’s the Gruha Lakshmi Scheme that promises Rs 15,000 per year to every woman and girl, and free power up to 200 units per family, which covers every voter in the state. Why did the people of Chhattisgarh reject this whole bouquet of benefits — and the Congress? The party’s seats have been reduced by almost half from its tally of 68 in the 2018 elections.
With its high-profile election campaign, Congress had created a perception that it was unbeatable. Advertisements of the Bhupesh Baghel government’s policies and achievements were ubiquitous on TV screens and in print. The face of Baghel loomed large. Congress believed its own publicity and did not realise its vulnerabilities. Perceptions and accusations of widespread corruption were overlooked. The Congress government is facing ED cases and some of its top leaders are under a tax cloud. For the first time in the history of Chhattisgarh, many All India Service officers are in jail for months, without bail. Now it appears that corruption had an impact, maybe an overriding impact, on the polls.
Chhattisgarh has also witnessed religious polarisation, and the Congress government largely overlooked violence against Christian and Muslim minorities. In fact, the party tried to project itself as an almost Hindutva entity in the state. It did its best to defeat the BJP by snatching symbols of Hindutva from it — from Ram to the cow. That didn’t work. Nor did its caste engineering focussed on OBCs.
Many analysts are trying to demystify the verdict. It is certainly a puzzle that is far from being solved. One thing, however, is clear. Voters were not moved by financial benefits. They were not polarised on religious or caste lines. They have proved that their ballot is not a commodity that can be bought by a government or party.
In my view, the BJP did not fight this election to its full capacity. Its state leaders were side-lined for the last four-and-half years, almost as though they were being punished for losing the 2018 elections. That makes the BJP’s resounding victory all the more amazing.
Finally, a word about Bastar and Surguja, two tribal areas that had voted overwhelmingly in favour of Congress in the last assembly election. They have completely rejected the party this time. Such a massive vote against Congress was on the cards, but the party was too self-obsessed and refused to realise this. Rahul Gandhi should introspect about this, as he has been claiming to be a champion of tribal rights.
The writer is the editor of the daily, Chhattisgarh
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