In a first of its kind of election in Chhattisgarh since it came into existence in Nov 2000, the Congress candidate pulled out from Antagarh Assembly bypolls, giving the BJP a sure certain victory in Scheduled Tribe reserved seat in restive Bastar which goes to polls Saturday.
The election was necessitated as the BJP legislator from Antagarh segment, Vikram Usendi, resigned after he was elected to lok Sabha from Kanker seat. There are 1.51 lakh voters in Antagarh for which 202 polling booths have been set up.Chhattisgarh has always witnessed a bipolar contest between State’s ruling BJP and the Congress but for Antagarh by-polls, it’s an exception.The Congress candidate Manturam Pawar embarrassed party by withdrawing his candidature in final hour on the last day of the withdrawal of nomination papers on August 30.
As many as 10 candidates withdrew their nomination papers one after another in one hour on August 30 and now just two candidates are left in the fray.The formal contest is between BJP’s local popular face Bhojraj Nag and a virtually unknown figure Rupdhar Pudo of Ambedkarite Party of India.Congress state president Bhupesh Baghel remarked, “the BJP exercised ‘money and muscle’ power to force Pawar to give up contest.
The entire bureaucracy too helped BJP to ensure Congress should not contest, it was unethical on part of the BJP and we took the matter to the Election Commission of India and also held a sit-in in Delhi to cancel Antagarh by-polls,’’.However, the BJP state chief Dharamlal Kaushik outrightly rejected the Congress charges. He stated, RsRsBJP wanted a contest in Antagarh but Congress nominee ran away and it’s entirely because of internal rift within the Congress,’’.
The former Congress MlA Pawar has a significant hold in Antagarh and he lost 2008 poll to the BJP by merely 100 votes and in 2013 by about 5,100 votes.Political analysts say that Pawar, who is bracketed as die-hard supporter to former chief minister Ajit Jogi, pulled out from election just to expose the leadership ability of Baghel who has a history of tense relationship with Jogi.
The wheelchair-bound Jogi had hit out at Baghel last week that Pawar was fielded by Baghel despite he was reluctant to contest.