Voting is on in 88 constituencies across 13 States and Union Territories for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections across the country on Friday, April 26. According to the latest reports, Tripura’s voters are leading the tally with around 36% of voter turnout followed by Chhattisgarh which witnessed around 35.40% voters turnout till 11 in the morning.
Fate of many big guns are at stake in the tribal dominated State where voting is underway in Mahasamund, Kanker and Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seats. Many notable names including the former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, former Congress minister Tamradhwaj Sahu and Bhartiya Janata Party Member of Parliament (MP) Santosh Pandey are among the candidates who are contesting the elections.
Voting underway in Kanker under tight security
Voting is being done under tight security in the Kanker Lok Sabha seat which has recently grabbed the headlines following a fierce encounter between the security forces and the Maoist under the Chotebethiya police station limits.
Here, the BJP has fielded notable tribal (Aadivasi/Janjati) leader and former MLA Bhojraj Nag against Congress candidate Biresh Thakur. Nag a prominent tribal name from the region has been a vocal supporter of de-listing. He also has been at the forefront of anti-conversion campaigns against the growing menace of illegal conversion in the State.
Nag a traditional priest (Baiga) and a former MLA from Antagarh constituency is considered a fire brigade Hindutwa leader who was also invited at the consecration ceremony of Bhagwan Ram on January 22nd of this year in Ayodhya.
The Kanker constituency is infested by Maoist insurgency and rampant illegal conversion of tribals. Recently the Union Home Minister Amit Shah also held a public gathering in the constituency and asserted that the BJP government will eradicate the Maoist menace from the State of Chhattisgarh in next few years.
Former CM Baghel in the fray from Rajnandgoan
Meanwhile senior Congress leader and former CM Bhupesh Baghel is contesting the elections from the high profile Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat. Here, the congress stalwart is up against the incumbent BJP MP Santosh Pandey.
Urging the people to participate and vote in large numbers, Chhattisgarh’s former CM and former MP from Rajnandgaon Raman Singh while launching a vicious attack on the former CM Baghel, said “that the former CM Baghel is contesting from Rajnandgaon not Durg because he has no faith in the people of Durg.”
#WATCH | Kawardha: Former Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh says, "… People are coming out and voting across the country in large numbers. I want to urge the people of Rajnandgaon to participate in large numbers in the elections. First-time voters should also vote in large numbers…… pic.twitter.com/VOPUPCzOl6
— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2024
Notably, Baghel has been contesting the assembly elections from the Patan constituency which falls under the Durg Lok Sabha seat.
Battle of OBC candidates in Mahasamund
Another Lok Sabha seat where voting is on is the other backward castes (OBC) dominated seat of Mahasamund. Here both the BJP and the Congress has fielded an OBC candidate given the large numbers of OBC voters in the constituency. The constituency has around 51% OBC voters.
The BJP has fielded Kumari Chaudhari, an OBC women candidate from the Mahasamund seat who is up against the Congress heavy weight Tamradhwaj Sahu, former home minister of the State under the Bhupesh Baghel led Congress government.
The Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituency has a total of 8 state assembly constituencies under it, where both the BJP and the Congress has secured 4 seats each in the recently concluded assembly elections suggesting a close contest between the two main political parties. Though as far as the general elections are concerned the Saffron party has a clear edge over the Congress as it has emerged victorious in the last three elections consecutively.
