Fielding four Parliamentarians including Union minister, BJP reprises MP formula

Raipur : In Chhattisgarh also, the BJP has replicated the Madhya Pradesh formula, fielding four MPs including a Union minister, in the polls. Additionally, the BJP has attempted to respond to the claims made by the Congress party, especially the OBC (Other Backward Classes) card.

The state is set to have elections in two phases, with voting scheduled for November 7 and 17, and results to be announced on December 3. The BJP has named candidates for 85 of the 90 Assembly constituencies 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 is standing 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 applied the Madhya Pradesh formula in Chhattisgarh by fielding a total of seven MPs, including three Union ministers.

This is part of the party's strategy to prevent discussion around a single name for the chief minister's position and to foster the sentiment that a prominent leader from their region could also become the chief minister.

The BJP has also fielded 15 former ministers from their previous government and also 29 candidates from the OBC communities. Political analysts believe that the elections in Chhattisgarh won't be easy for the BJP, which is why there has been great scrutiny in candidate selection. The party aims to disrupt the Congress's equations by fielding influential and powerful leaders in the election.