Chhattisgarh third front can ruin Cong, BJP poll prospects

While ruling BJP banking on development agenda, opposition Congress planning to attack govt over alleged corruption

The scene was surreal in the media centre of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Chhattisgarh. The media managers were glued to the screen of LED television walled in a corner; waiting for the local channels to air the report of  an alleged revolt in Congress.

A large number of Congress workers were staging a vehement protest against a candidate. Ironically, none of the local news channel covered the event that BJP managers were calculating would “tarnish” the opponents.

“The channels are ignoring the BJP; thinking that our (BJP) government is on its way out,” fumed one of the managers. But they don't know: they are confused, he added. True, the confusion is not limited to one section, a clear political picture is yet to emerge in Chhattisgarh that goes to the poll in two phases next month.

While the ruling BJP is banking on the development agenda, the opposition Congress is planning to attack the government over alleged corruption and misrule besides stirring up the Darba Naxal attack that killed its key leaders on May 25 this year. The Congress party has given tickets to the kin of slain leaders to cash in the card.  

“There has been a number of issues of corruption and the failure of the BJP government to deliver,” Congress general secretary Ramesh Varlyani said. The party would explore it to take on the BJP in the election, he said, adding that the biggest lapse was on law and order front as the government failed to protect its leaders.

The Chief Minister, Raman Singh had said that development and growth of the state would be the poll plank to retain the power for the third term. Though there is resentment among the legislators, overall, Singh’s face is still the trump card for the BJP. This is the factor that propelled the party to drop around 25% sitting MLAs.

The biggest strength of the BJP has been the simmering differences in the Congress. The faction led by state party chief Charan Das Mahant had been ignoring Jogi camp in party affairs. The former chief minister, Jogi is the only mass leader of Congress in Chhattisgarh and has the ability to deliver.

The Congress had played the juggling game with Jogi. His son Amit has been given the ticket from Marwahi while Jogi has been included in the election campaign panel without its command. The panel would be headed by AICC treasurer Motilal Vora and Jogi would only be a part of it.  

The BJP however has to keep its own house in order. The resentment among the leaders over candidate selection has started spilling out in open. The irked leaders have revolted and will contest the election as independent candidates at a few places. Since the BJP is ruling party, the resentment in the cadre would affect it more than the opposition party.

The tussle is neck and neck in Chhattisgarh and the budding third front could play spoilsport.

“If the third front manages to get six or more seats, the equation in the state will totally change,” said political experts and former bureaucrat Dr Sushil Kumar Trivedi. They possibility of a hung assembly cannot be ruled out then, he added.

The Communists are on a move in restive Bastar and set to gain one or two seats. The party of late Tarachand Sahu, who revolted against the BJP and former Chhattisgarh Swabhiman Manch, had pitted its candidates in many constituencies. The candidates are strong enough to win a couple of seats.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had been winning a few seats in the state. Even two-three BSP rebels contesting as independent candidates are in a position to walk into the legislative assembly.

Chhattisgarh assembly has only 90 members. And six or seven candidates could easily change the scene. Since the rebels had revolted against the BJP in the past, the possibility of their returning to party fold or supporting the parent party is bleak.
Congress has reason to smile.