Raipur
Kawasi Lakhma, senior Congress leader and sitting MLA from Konta assembly constituency of Bastar, has been declared as the Lok Sabha candidate from the Bastar constituency in Chhattisgarh by the party. Late on Saturday (March 23), the Congress party released its fourth list, which comprised 45 names, with only the Bastar constituency from Chhattisgarh being included. The current Member of Parliament from this constituency is BJP Chief Deepak Baij.
While candidates for 6 seats, including Raipur and Rajnandgaon, were announced in the first list, suspense remains on four seats even after the declaration of the Bastar candidate. The electoral landscape for the Bastar seat is now clear, with the competition expected between Congress’s Kawasi Lakhma and BJP’s Mahesh Kshyap.
Kawasi Lakhma, a Congress stalwart, has been consistently elected from the Konta seat in Sukma. This time, Lakhma aimed to secure a ticket for his son Harish. He had also advocated for this in Delhi. However, to avoid nepotism controversy, the party decided to grant the ticket to Kawasi.
Addressing opposition from Deepak Baij, Lakhma stated that Deepak is like a son to him. Regardless of who receives the ticket, they will contest the election together, ensuring Congress’s victory in Bastar.
Baij currently serves as the Member of Parliament from the Bastar seat. Given his defeat in the previous assembly elections, the party opted not to field him from Bastar. There’s speculation that Baij may be nominated as a candidate from the Kanker seat.
Congress has thus far announced candidates for 7 seats. CM Bhupesh Baghel has secured the ticket from Rajnandgaon, while three former ministers are also in the electoral fray. These include former minister Shiv Dahariya from Janjgir-Champa, Tamradhwaj Sahu from Mahasamund, and Lakhma from Bastar.
Sitting MP Jyotsna Mahant from Korba has been given another opportunity, while former MLA Vikas Upadhyay has been fielded from the Raipur seat. Vikas has previously served as the parliamentary secretary. A fresh face has been introduced for the Durg seat, with Rajendra Sahu, a close associate of Bhupesh Baghel, being entrusted with the responsibility. The first list, released on March 8, announced candidates for 6 seats.
