Raipur, October 29
While a couple of opinion polls predicting BJP’s landslide victory in Chhattisgarh assembly polls and Congress negating pre-poll voter-pulse-testing methodology, some of the political heavyweights in the two parties are rolling up their sleeves to once again win their seats with record-high margin. In 2008, former CM Ajit Jogi from Congress topped the list of winners with huge margin while BJP CM Raman Singh stood fourth.
In previous elections, among 90 MLAs, 11 had won with over 20,000 vote margin. Besides CM, the other BJP candidates who appeared in the big league were Rajni Tripathi, Siddhnath Paikra, Brijmohan Agrawal, Kedar Kashyap and Saroj Pandey. While, apart from Jogi, the Congress candidates who featured in the list were Nandkumar Patel, Ramdayal Uike, Rajkamal Singhania, Gurmukh Singh Hora and Paresh Bagbahra.
Though Jogi, who had won from Marwahi by defeating BJP’s Dhyan Singh Porte by margin of 42,092 votes, has been replaced by his son Amit this time, his supporters are confident of recreating history in the constituency as junior Jogi has been toiling at grassroot level for last four-five years to establish himself as a politician.
Amit has already proved his poll management skills during Youth Congress and NSUI elections as his effective strategies helped Jogi supporters to win three quarters of the total posts in two frontal organisations of Congress. The BJP has dumped Porte and fielded new face Sameera Paikra against Amit.
BJP’s Rajni Tripathi was second among winners with big margin. She contested bypolls in 2010 after demise of her spouse who was legislator from Bhatgaon. Tripathi defeated Congress candidate US Singhdeo by 34,862 votes. The party has once again shown trust on her.
Tripathi was followed by former state Congress president Nandkumar Patel who got killed during May 25 naxal attack on Congress convoy in Bastar. Patel trounced BJP candidate Laxmi Devi Patel by 33,428 votes to win from Kharsia. The seat is vacant since his demise. The congress has given ticket to Patel’s son Umesh from the constituency and hopes that he would post thumping victory with sympathy wave in his favour.
CM Raman Singh was fourth in the list of winners with high margin. He had defeated former MLA Uday Mudliyar from Congress by margin of 32,389 votes to post his maiden victory from Rajnandgaon. Since Mudliyar too was victim of May 25 naxal attack, the Congress has fielded his spouse Alka to cash in on sympathy wave in the region. Earlier, it was rumoured that the CM would change his seat but he firmly clarified that he would contest from Rajnandgaon.
The political pundits have already fixed their eyes on this seat and have started surmising about the fate of CM and his opponent Alka Mudliyar. While the CM will have pressure to win the seat again by bigger margin, Alka will simply have to defeat the former to make a record.
In 2008, there were five candidates who won by margin of less than 1000 votes. Among these, BJP minister Vikram Usendi won by mere 109 votes from his Congress opponent Mantu Ram Pawar in Antagarh. This time Usendi will face challenge from Congress candidate Deepak Baij.
Congress candidate Kawasi Lakhma too had won from Konta by small margin of 192 votes. He defeated BJP’s Padam Nanda. This time, BJP has pitted new face Dhaniram Barse against Lakhma.
The other winners with vote margin less than 1000 were – Jaisingh Agrawal from Korba – 587; Hemchand Yadav from Durg City, 702 and TS Singhdeo from Ambikapur – 948.
Winners with highest margin in 2008
Winners
|
Party
|
Seat
|
Margin
|
Ajit Jogi
|
Congress
|
Marwahi
|
42,092
|
Rajni Tripathi
|
BJP
|
Bhatgaon
|
34,862
|
Nandkumar Patel
|
Congress
|
Kharsia
|
33,428
|
Dr Raman Singh
|
BJP
|
Rajnandgaon
|
32,389
|
Siddhnath Paikra
|
BJP
|
Samri
|
30,499
|
Ramdayal Uike
|
Congress
|
Pali Tanakhar
|
29,443
|
Rajkamal Singhania
|
Congress
|
Kasdol
|
27,206
|
Gurmukh Singh Hora
|
Congress
|
Dhamtari
|
27,007
|
Brijmohan Agrawal
|
BJP
|
Raipur South
|
24,939
|
Paresh Bagbahra
|
Congress
|
Khallari
|
22,505
|
Kedar Kashyap
|
BJP
|
Narayanpur
|
21,635
|
Saroj Pandey
|
BJP
|
Vaishalinagar
|
21,267
|
No comments:
Post a Comment