While BJP fields former two-time MLA Komal Janghel, JCC-J names Narendra Soni for the by-poll
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday named former MLA Komal Janghel as party’s official candidate for Khairagarh Assembly Constituency, going to by-election on April 12. The Central Election Committee of the party finalised the name of Janghel, who belongs to OBC, on the basis of the panel of candidates recommended by the party Chhattisgarh State Election Committee. Last date of nomination is Thursday.
It may be mentioned, Komal Janghel had lost the seat in two consecutive elections held in 2013 and 2018 in close battle by the margin of 2190 votes and 870 votes respectively.
Komal lost to Congress candidate GirwarJanghel in 2013 to stand second and later he lost to JCC-J candidate Devwrat Singh in 2018 to stand second again. Devwrat Singh got 61516 votes in 2018 elections while Komal got 60646 votes and Congress candidate Girwar Janghel stood third with 31811 votes. Similarly, BJP candidate Komal stood second in 2013 with 67943 votes while his rival Congress candidate got 70133 votes to be elected as the MLA. For the first time in the history of election in Chhattisgarh, NOTA (None of the Above) stood third with 4643 votes in Khairagarh seat.
Komal Janghel was elected to the Vidhan Sabha for the first time in the Khairagarh by-poll in 2007-2008.
He won election on BJP ticket in 2008 by a huge margin of 19554 votes as he defeated his Congress rival MotilalJanghel who got only 42893 votes and Independent candidate Hemant Sharma stood third with 4610 votes. In 2003 elections, Congress candidate Dr Chetan Vermaemerged as winner with 39830 votes while BJP candidate Sharda Mahesh Tiwari came second with 27588 votes and NCP candidate Devdatta Singh Verma stood third with 9361 votes. Komal Janghel has done MA in Geography.
Meanwhile, the name of businessman Narendra Soni is leading the list of candidates in race for Khairagarh by-poll from Janta Congress Chhattisgarh-Jogi (JCC-J). Soni who is the yonger brother-in-law of DevwratSingh, is emerging as front runner amidst ongoing fight in the family of Late Devwrat Singh who died of heart attack in November 2021.
It is worthwhile to mention, Soni, who also belongs to OBC, is most qualified among all candidates contesting the poll. Talking to The Hitavada, Soni said that he will be filing the nomination. The 41-year-old, Soni said that he has done MA in five subjects – Social Work, Political Science, Folk Dance, Human Rights and Psychology – and at present he is in LLM final year. JCC-J State President Amit Jogi will attend the nomination filing of Soni, he said.
