BJP’s second list for Chhattisgarh projects a shadow of the past 

Among the key candidates, former Chief Minister Raman Singh will be contesting from Rajnandgaon

The BJP — in its second list comprising 64 candidates for the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls — has fielded three Lok Sabha MPs, a former Chief Minister, nearly a dozen former Cabinet Ministers, and 11 of its 13 sitting MLAs.

The list also features a film actor, two former Indian Administrative Services officers, the father of a youth who was killed in a recent communal clash, and two members of the Sarguja royal family known for its anti-religious conversion “ghar wapsi” campaign in the northern tribal belt of the State.

Having already announced 21 candidates in its first list, the BJP has so far declared candidates for 85 seats in the 90-member House. The party said it has fielded 30 ST candidates, 10 SCs, 31 OBCs, 14 women and 43 candidates who will be contesting on the BJP symbol for the first time. It is hoping to prevent a repeat of the 2018 elections, where it was voted out of power after 15 years at the helm and its tally came down from 49 [in 2013] to 15 [it currently stands at 13]. The latest list includes 13 leaders who lost the 2018 polls with anti-incumbency being a key factor.

Among the key candidates, former Chief Minister Raman Singh will be contesting from Rajnandgaon, while State BJP president and sitting Bilaspur MP, Arun Sao, has been nominated from the Lormi Assembly constituency. The two other sitting MPs on the list are Surguja MP Renuka Singh from Bharatpur-Sonhat (ST reserved) and Raigarh Lok Sabha member Gomti Sai from Pathalgaon (ST). The party had already announced the name of Durg MP Vijay Baghel in its first list released last month.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Narayan Prasad Chandel has been renominated from his current seat Janjir-Champa, while popular Chhattisgarhi filmstar Anuj Sharma, who recently joined the BJP, has been fielded from Dharsiwa in Raipur district.

Former IAS officer OP Chaudhary, who lost the previous elections from Kharsia, has been fielded from adjoining Raigarh, while another Former IAS officer Neelkanth Tekam, will contest from the Keshkal (ST) seat.

BJP member Ishwar Sahu, whose son was killed in a communal clash in April this year in Biranpur village of Bemetara district, is also featured in the list of candidates. The party has been accusing the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government of not taking prompt action in the case and had recently claimed that many named by Mr. Sahu’s family had not been arrested.