The ruling BJP in Chhattisgarh is most likely to deny tickets to at least 27 sitting legislators out of the total 49 party MlAs, for a 90-member State legislative Assembly polls scheduled by year-end.
Top party sources claimed that BJP’s popularity graph has taken a sharp dip in the Bastar region that has 12 Assembly seats.
The BJP had won 11 seats in the last Assembly polls held in 2008 in the insurgency-hit tribal dominated Bastar region but a recent internal survey
carried out by the party
confirmed that BJP would not get in excess of five seats in the region as of now.
“Despite Bastar Maharaja Kamalchand Bhanjdeo joined BJP late last month, there is a strong anti-incumbency wave existing against BJP MlAs in Bastar because the party MlAs have lost connect with local people,” a top BJP organisational leader having RSS
background, told The Pioneer.
“The BJP rank and file are complacent now in Chhattisgarh and are dependent on factionalism in Opposition (Congress) camp to score a winning hat-trick in assembly polls which is not a good indication, the party (BJP) can never win without mobilising its own cadres at grass root level which is not happening as of now,” a BJP leader based in leaders at BJP State headquarters admit that party has failed to make strong inroads in key districts -- Raigarh, Mahasamund, Korba and Bilaspur- where the Congress performed better than its opponent in last Assembly polls.
Chief Minister Raman Singh has been presently touring of Congress-dominated districts through Vikas Yatra and his public meetings drew massive crowd in these districts.
However, BJP strategists still believe "pulling crowds at rallies is easy and translating these crowds into votes is extremely tough. BJP should not be in confusion that the crowd swelling at Raman's rallies are going to vote for the BJP,'' remarked a seasoned BJP campaigner who is based in Korba district.
BJP sources say that there is no anti incumbency against the Raman Singh Government in general, but there is definitely a wide anti-incumbency feeling against more than 35 party MlAs across southern tip of Bastar to northern belt of Surguja.
"The BJP is mulling to put in fresh candidates in at least 27 party-held constituencies in a bid to stem anti-incumbency against its local MlAs. But the party has to keep a perfect plan in place to contain revolt once the majority of sitting MlAs are denied tickets,'' observed a RSS functionary who is involved in ticket-selection process too.