Challenges in Chhattisgarh: Internal dissent, liquor scam fallout

SUNDEEP POURANIK

Raipur, May 20 (IANS) Following the big victories of the Congress in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, people are now looking towards the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

With Chhattisgarh emerging as a Congress stronghold, questions are being raised about how the party will fare in the state.

Chhattisgarh has a Congress government, but the BJP has won the Lok Sabha seats from there.

In 2004, even though a Congress-led coalition government was formed in the country, in the Lok Sabha elections 2004 the BJP won 10 out of the 11 seats in the state.

In the 2018 Assembly elections, the Congress had won 68 of the 90 assembly seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won nine out of 11 seats.

Regarding the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, there is speculation about whether the Congress will be able to improve its position further or will the situation remain the same as in 2004.

After the 2018 assembly election, the Congress has worked in the state to strengthen its reach among the people. Most of the promises made in the assembly elections have been fulfilled, due to which the Congress has been able to increase its mass base.

Political analysts believe that the biggest challenge for the Congress may come from within itself. On the one hand, where the shadow of the government dominates the organization, on the other hand, discussions about the Chief Minister's formula of two-and-a-half years allegedly keep coming up.

The party does not seem to be as active at the ground level as it was before the 2018 elections. The power of the Congress is dependent on the government and especially on Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

The BJP in the state has 'not been successful' in creating an atmosphere in its favour even at the ground level.

But the continuous action taken by the Enforcement Directorate against the Congress leaders and the recently exposed liquor scam is giving strength to the BJP.

The BJP is trying to make corruption an issue in the state but till now it has not been able to do so.

Congress spokesperson Surendra Verma said: "People of the state have come to know the activities of BJP MPs and the central government better. Even on the injustice being meted out by the central government to the state, the BJP MPs remain silent."

Sharing the challenges, Verma said: "Every political party sees the opposition party as a challenge and contests elections seriously, but the BJP neither has an organisation in the state, nor does it have any issue. People of the state have seen the work of the Raman government for 15 years and the Modi government at the Centre."

Former Chief Minister Raman Singh said that only the scams of the Baghel government are discussed. The people are fed up with these scams and have made up their mind to change the government. This government snatched houses from the poor, played with people's lives with poisonous liquor.