Raman Singh who is heading the BJP Government in Chhattisgarh since December 2003, filed his nomination paper on Thursday from Rajnandgaon seat. He is seeking second consecutive victory from Rajnandgaon though the history confirms that no candidate has ever managed to win this seat twice in a row.
The 61-year-old Ayurvedic doctor-turned politician Singh reached the District Collectorate in a massive procession and filed papers. Singh was accompanied by his wife Veena Singh, BJP national general secretary and party in-charge for Chhattisgarh JP Nadda, Ram Pratap Singh, Pradesh Mahamantri (Sangathan), Industry Minister Rajesh Munat and several other key local leaders.
Rajnandgaon seat will go to polls on November 11 in the first phase along with 17 other constituencies of Bastar, Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Kanker, Narayanpur and Rajnandgaon districts. The Election Commission has bracketed these 18 constituencies as Maoist militancy-hit areas. Talking to mediapersons after filing papers, Singh stated, “I have full faith in people of Rajnandgaon and I am sure voters will go against precedent by electing me twice in a row from Rajnandgaon seat.”.
He also claimed that BJP would score hat-trick in next month polls as he has delivered on Rs development’ issue. He added, Rs Rs in past 10 years, I tried my level best to take the development to each and every village,’’. Singh claimed that BJP would get more seats in 2013 than the total tally of 50 out of the total 90 it got in last Assembly polls in 2013. He also hit out at Ajit Jogi of the Congress and said he (Jogi) is a threat to Congress rather than the BJP.