Race for CM begins in C'garh after BJP cruises towards stunning victory
Raipur: Race for the post of chief minister in Chhattisgarh began with BJP cruising towards a stunning victory in the recently held assembly polls, results of which were declared on Sunday.
Senior party leader Om Mathur, who was in-charge of election for the party in Chhattisgarh, Union minister Mansukh Mandavia who was the co in-charge of elections for the party in Chhattisgarh, and party’s national general secretary Nitin Naveen flew to Raipur in a special flight from Delhi to begin the process of selection of the chief minister.
“The the Central party leaders have been sent to Raipur by the Central leadership to oversee election of chief minister by the newly elected legislators of the party. The exercise for selection of chief minister will begin on Monday and may be over in a couple of days”, a senior BJP functionary told Deccan Chronicle.
“The new BJP legislature party will meet soon to elect its leader”, Mathur told the media at the Raipur airport.
Sources disclosed to Deccan Chronicle that at least five BJP leaders are at the forefront of the race for the chief minister’s post in Chhattisgarh.
They are former chief minister Dr Raman Singh, former bureaucrat O.P. Choudhury, state BJP president Arun Sao, former Union minister and tribal leader Vishnudev Sai, Union minister and tribal woman leader Renuka Singh.
A senior BJP leader revealed to Deccan Chronicle that the Central leadership of the party had made a survey to zero in on the ‘most suitable chief ministerial candidate’ a couple of weeks ago after sniffing victory for the party in Chhattisgarh.
“The selection of chief minister is likely to be done based on the survey”, the BJP leader said on anonymity.
Meanwhile, BJP is cruising towards recording its biggest ever victory in Chhattisgarh with the party poised to win 54 out of 90 assembly seats in the state, while Congress may be constrained to content with 35 seats in the 2023 assembly polls.
While BJP won 30 seats and was leading in 24 seats till the last reports came at around 8.30 pm, Congress secured 17 seats and was leading in 18 seats.
An independent candidate was leading in another seat.
In the 2018 assembly elections, Congress had trounced BJP by securing 68 seats, reducing BJP’s seat tally to 15.
The last biggest victory recorded by BJP was in the 2003 assembly polls when the party won 50 seats to form government in the state for the first time with a 39.26 percent vote share.
Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh were held for the first time in 2003 after formation of the state in 2000.
As per the Election Commission, BJP is set to secure 46.34 percent votes and Congress is going to record 42.12 percent votes in the 2023 assembly elections.
The BJP has interestingly defied all exit polls which suggested an emphatic victory for Congress, to stage a comeback to power in the state in style.
Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and former chief minister Dr Singh were among the political heavyweights in the state who won the polls.
Nine ministers in the Bhupesh Baghel government including deputy chief minister T.S. Singh Deo lost the polls.
Mr Singh Deo narrowly lost the polls by 122 votes in his assembly constituency of Ambikapur.
Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC), founded by former chief minister late Ajit Jogi, appears to be drawing a blank in the polls raising question marks on the legacy of the leader.
The party had fielded candidates in 78 seats in the polls.
Widow of Jogi Renu, the sitting MLA of the party, was trailing by huge margin over her rivals in Kota assembly constituency.
