Indian National Congress candidate for Chitrakot by-poll Rajman Benzam after the polling held on Monday claimed Bastar would be made ‘BJP free’ even as his main rival and BJP candidate Lachhuram Kashyap was confident of winning the seat.
The INC candidate after casting his vote, along with his wife at Irpa polling centre, said Congress workers had really worked hard. In each area of the constituency around 50 party workers had motivated the villagers, he added.
Bezam claimed that BJP would be wiped off from the Bastar region. He was expecting a victory margin of more than 20,000 votes.
BJP candidate Lachhuram Kashyap on the other appeared equally confidence of his victory.
He registered his vote at Kodebeda polling centre after standing in a normal line. Talking to media after casting his vote, he said, “I have stood to win and is fully assured of victory. Electors are mum on the issue, but they are casting their votes.”
He added in 2018, people might have been angry or they could not see the achievements of 15-years of BJP rule in state but this time, the BJP got full cooperation of the people.
In 2018, Deepak Baij of Congress defeated Lachhuram Kashyap by 17,770 votes. Baij polled 62,616 votes and Lachhuram received 44,846 votes. In 2013 state general elections, Deepak Baij had defeated sitting BJP MLA Baiduram Kashyap by 12,359 votes.
