After sister's win 33 years ago, Gond royal in Chhattisgarh aims to reclaim lost bastion
The Hindu
Dr. Menka Devi Singh of the royal Gond family contests for Raigarh Lok Sabha seat against BJP's Radheshyam Rathiya.
It was 33 years ago when Pushpa Devi of the erstwhile Gond tribal royal family of Sarangarh in Chhattisgarh was elected to the Lok Sabha from Raigarh constituency on a Congress ticket and this time, the party has fielded her sister Dr. Menka Devi Singh to reclaim the seat.
Dr. Menka is pitted against the BJP’s Radheshyam Rathiya in the Scheduled Tribe reserved seat, polling in which will take place in the third phase of elections on May 7.
The princely Sarangarh family has been associated with the Congress since pre-Independence times. Dr. Menka's father Raja Nareschandra Singh had served as Minister in the Congress government in undivided Madhya Pradesh from 1952 to 1968. He was also the only tribal chief minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh.
Members of this royal family have won Lok Sabha polls from Raigarh four times as Congress candidates since the seat was created in 1962.
Also, Dr.. Menka Devi's mother Lalita Devi was elected unopposed as MLA in 1969 from Pusaur in Raigarh district. Dr. Menka Devi's sister Rajnigandha was MP from Raigarh in 1967, while Pushpa Devi Singh won in 1980, 1984 and 1991.
A third sister of Dr. Menka Devi, Kamla Devi, was MLA for 18 years and served as minister for 15 years in undivided Madhya Pradesh.
Former chief minister Ajit Jogi was the last Congress candidate to win the Raigarh seat in 1998.
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