With over 10 per cent votes’ difference between the BJP and the Congress in recently concluded assembly polls, the saffron party is now staring at another humiliating defeat, this time in Lok Sabha polls expected by April-May.
The BJP has been winning 10 out of the total 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state for past two consecutive parliamentary polls but the resurgent Congress and a formidable third front led by the former chief minister Ajit Jogi, have brought fears in the rank and file of the BJP that the party could not win a single seat in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Rs Rs The Congress is all set to keep the winning momentum in Lok Sabha polls too in Chhattisgarh, voters who ditched the BJP in assembly polls are highly unlikely to change their mind in Lok Sabha polls in the state,’’ a senior BJP leader and former Lok Sabha MP, told The Pioneer.
Rs Rs The situation is going from bad to worse for the BJP in Lok Sabha polls in Chhattisgarh and fresh inputs emerging from various parts of state about voters’ mindset indicate the BJP might not get a single seat,’’ the leader said, adding Rs Rs in the best-case scenario the BJP could bag 1-3 seats’’.
He further informed that Lok Sabha polls would be a very challenging task for former chief minister and senior BJP leader Raman Singh to avoid another embarrassing defeat for the party in Chhattisgarh.
A top BJP functionary who handles party organisation in Chhattisgarh for over a decade informed, Rs Rs the BJP cadres are yet to overcome from shock defeat in assembly polls in which the faction-ridden Congress walked away with 68 out of the total 90 seats in a two-phased assembly polls held in November,’’.
He added that the BJP is largely unprepared for Lok Sabha polls in Chhattisgarh as its frontline leaders in state are now busy in blame game.
Though Raman Singh who was chief minister for 15 consecutive years, had owned up responsibility for BJP’s humiliating defeat in assembly polls but a powerful section of party leaders such as the seasoned politician Brijmohan Agrawal wants major changes in leadership in state if party has to revive its hope in Lok Sabha polls.