Himanta Sarma’s target is only Chhattisgarh Muslim MLA, largest winner of 2018

The Kabirdham district in which Kawardha falls is, incidentally, the birthplace of BJP heavyweight and former CM Raman Singh.

Akbar’s earlier victories had come from neighbouring Pandariya (formerly Birendranagar) seat, defeating a BJP candidate each time.

The Congress has renominated the 67-year-old from Kawardha. What has changed this time is that the elections are coming after the 2021 communal violence in Kawardha, which followed an unauthorised rally by Hindu right-wing groups, armed with swords and lathis, leaving dozens injured.

The BJP is trying to cash in on the tension in the area since, and has fielded as its candidate one of the accused in the case, Vijay Sharma.

Sharma, a zilla panchayat member and former BJP Kabirdham district in-charge and state general secretary, had spent two months in jail on charges of rioting, inciting violence, destruction of property. He is contesting his first Assembly election.

Additionally, from Bemetara which neighbours Kabirdham, the BJP has fielded Ishwar Sahu, whose son Bhuneshwar was killed in a communal riot in Bemetara this August. During a recent poll speech, Union Home Minister Amit Shah referred to Sahu’s candidacy as a “symbol” of the BJP’s promise of justice for the “martyrdom” of Bhuneshwar.

Sarma was more direct in his address. “Since I came here, I have only heard the name Akbar. Earlier, when we visited Uttar Pradesh, we used to hear the name Babur… When Modiji became Prime Minister, he finished Babur and made the Ram temple. I request you, in whichever corner of India you hear the names Babur, Aurangazeb, Humayun and Akbar, please finish them quickly,” the Assam CM, known for his controversial speeches, said.

Referring to the recent attack on Israel by the Hamas militant group, Sarma said there would be “an Akbar in Gaza”. He said, “Our Assam is in one corner of north-east India. First a few Akbar came from Bangladesh and our innocent people welcomed them with warm hearts. And now 35% of the demography in Assam has changed and Hindus are a minority in 12 districts. It became a camp of ‘love jihad’. One Akbar comes and then brings a hundred Akbars. Do not forget this, and hence send off this Akbar as soon as possible, or this soil of Goddess Kaushalya will become impure.”

Akbar has been in the Congress for nearly 40 years, beginning his political career in 1985 and gradually rising in the party ranks, spending time in the Youth Congress and Seva Dal. After losing MLA elections in 1990 from Raipur Rural and 1993 from Birendranagar, he won his first election as an MLA in 1998.

He was earlier a minister in the Chhattisgarh government from 2000 to 2003, and currently holds the portfolios of Transport, Housing, Environment, Forest and Law.

While Akbar could not be contacted, an aide said: “Akbar has not been winning because of his Muslim identity, but his good connection with the public. Back in 1990, when he was chairman of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee in Raipur, he made a Ram temple in the market area on request of a labourer. He participates in every Hindu festival, and performs aarti at the Hanuman temple in Kawardha… If there is a death in his constituency, he personally reaches out to the family.”

The 2011 Census put the Kabirdham district population at 8.22 lakh, of which Muslims comprised 1.48%. The aide said the scale of Akbar’s victory in 2018 showed that he could not have got just Muslim votes.

After the Kawardha riots, Akbar had made several visits to the town and visited homes of the victims. On August 23 last year, he took out a ‘Tiranga Rally’. When he filed his nomination on October 16, there were several thousand in his entourage.

Congress media cell chief Sushil Anand Shukla said they would lodge a complaint with the Election Commission against Sarma over his speech. “Since the BJP lost power in 2018, it has started playing the Hindu-Muslim card. The party has no issues left and hence is resorting to polarisation politics. This will not work against Akbar.”