PM Modi is BJP's mascot in Chhattisgarh as it corners Baghel on corruption

New Delhi, Oct 15: In Chhattisgarh, elections are set to take place in two phases, with voting scheduled for 20 seats on November 7 and the remaining 70 seats on November 17 and results to be announced on December 3.

In terms of candidate announcements, the BJP has surged ahead of the Congress.

The BJP has released two lists of candidates for 85 of the 90 Assembly constituencies in the state.

In Chhattisgarh, the BJP has implemented the West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh formula, which is why they have fielded its senior leaders, Union Ministers and MPs in the state.

The party has fielded its state president and Bilaspur MP Arun Sao from Lormi in Bilaspur district.

Sarguja MP and Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh from Bharatpur-Sonhat in Koriya district, Raigarh MP Gomati Sai from Pathalgaon in Jashpur district and Durg MP Vijay Baghel against Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel from Patan.

The party has also fielded former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh from Rajnandgaon.

The BJP has employed a unique electoral strategy this time, refraining from projecting any one individual as the face for the Chief Minister’s post.

This is part of the party’s strategy to prevent discussion around a single name for the Chief Minister’s position.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is BJP’s mascot in the state, which is why the party is heavily promoting PM Modi’s programmes during the election campaign to cover all 90 seats.

The BJP is contesting the elections based on the collective leadership to counter Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is taking the path of soft Hindutva.

PM Modi will hold rallies in all five regions of Chhattisgarh, attempting to reach out to voters from all 90 assembly constituencies. If necessary, the number of Prime Minister’s public meetings might be increased.

Chhattisgarh is divided into five regions — Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Surguja, and Bastar.

Raipur region includes five districts and 20 assembly seats, while Bilaspur region has 8 districts and 24 assembly seats.

In the Durg region, there are 7 districts and 20 seats, Surguja region has 6 districts and 14 seats, and Bastar region has 7 districts and 12 assembly seats.

Apart from PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are expected to aggressively campaign and lure voters through a strong organisational structure.

Another issue that the BJP is emphasising and all its leaders are rallying around is the matter of corruption.

The BJP has filed a formal complaint against CM Baghel, accusing him of numerous scams and corruption.

The party is making efforts to woo voters by reaching out to them at their homes with these allegations.

Baghel is considered a close associate of the Congress, and hence, the BJP is keen on defeating him at any cost to exert pressure on the Gandhi family.