Many BJD workers of Umarkote urged Subash Gond, the seating MLA of Umarkote, to be the candidate for the seat from the ensuing general elections.
Gond, a close associate of slain MLA Jagabandhu Majhi, was handpicked as the BJD nominee for the by-election and later in the election to the Umarkote Assembly constituency wherein he defeated his arch rival from the BJP. But in the last panchayat election, the performance of the BJD in Umarkote constituency was found dismal leading to a question mark on Gond’s party ticket from BJD.
In the meantime, another candidate Sanraj Gond who is presently a Sarapanch in Raighar Block and recently joined in the party has been lobbying for the BJD ticket. However, BJD leaders raised sloganeering protesting Sanraj in a party meeting held at village Sirliguda headed by Sanjay Dasburma, the district observer of BJD. They warned that any alteration in nominee selection would be a dangerous move.
Pramad Padhy, a senior BJD leader of the district, said, “ The general elections are different from the Panchayat election. Due to the influence of the BJP led Chhattisgarh Government then, the BJP performed well in the Panchayats adjacent to the Chhattisgarh border. But now the situation is different in Chhattisgarh. So this time, the BJD will perform well in the bordering areas.”
“The people of Umerkote constituency have full faith on me and my party,” said MLA Gond.