This polls may end career of Chhattisgarh BJP heavyweights

Bhopal: The BJP’s experiment with new faces in the three-phase Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh, which ended on Tuesday, has left frontline leaders of the party there nervous.

The third and final phase of Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh covering seven parliamentary constituencies on Tuesday witnessed an impressive voter turnout of 65 percent.

Earlier, the Lok Sabha elections to the rest four seats were held in two phases on April 11 and April 23.

Sources said the frontline leaders of BJP who were peeved at nomination of second line leaders of the party for all the 11 constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh have started feeling insecure about their political future following the experiment by the party.

“Frontline leaders of the party are feeling uncomfortable with the new experiment by the BJP in Chhattisgarh. It will open a new chapter in the party if the experiment succeeds, sending a message to heavyweights in the party that they cannot take their position for granted”, a senior BJP leader of Chhattisgarh told this newspaper on Tuesday.

The BJP has replaced all the 10 sitting MPs in Chhattisgarh with new faces in the wake of debacle in the 2018 Assembly polls in the state.

Former chief minister Raman Singh’ son Abhis-hek was also replaced by a small time leader of the party in his constituency of Rajnandgaon.

Sources said the party’s decision to bank on second line leader to restore base of the BJP in Chhattisgarh has, however, galvanised party workers.

“One of the key reasons for the defeat of BJP in 2018 assembly elections in Chhattisgarh was lack of enthusiasm among workers who felt neglected by the party leaders in the state in the last 15 years.

The decision to give ticket to new faces has revived hope among the workers that they have a future in the party.