The Congress high command has summoned its Chhattisgarh president Bhupesh Baghel and leader of the Opposition TS Singh Deo to Delhi to finalise party’s lok Sabha candidates for Kanker and Mahasamund, top sources said on Friday.
Sources said the party is likely to declare the names of its candidates for both the seats in a day or two. The Congress has already announced candidates for nine seats out of State’s total 11 lok Sabha seats.
Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi is already lobbying in the national Capital and it was believed that he is interested to contest any one from these two seats and that was the reason why the party has been delaying its announcement for Scheduled Tribes reserved Kanker seat and Mahasamund which is general category seat.
Speculation was also rife that a largely unknown face, Manak Darpatti could be fielded from Kanker seat. Similarly the name of district president Naresh Thakur is also doing the round. Congress party has also summoned Thakur to Delhi.
On the other hand, the power equation has changed in Mahasamund. Sources said it was almost finalised that former Union Minister Vidya Charan Shukla’s daughter Pratibha Pandey would not be given party ticket.
It was because the party fielded Satyanarayan Sharma from Raipur seat. Sources said the Congress leaderships already sought the opinions of the senior State Congress leaders to shortlist candidates for the Mahasamund seats.
Apart from that the name of Mahendra Chandrakar who belonged to Mahasamund area is also in circulation for the seat. Sources said it was senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi who himself has been trying for the lok Sabha ticket.
Initially his name was projected by the party for Bilaspur seat. But Jogi believed to have denied to contest from that area. After that the party believed to have zeroed in on Karuna Shukla. Both Baghel and Singh Deo on Friday night proceeded to Delhi to finalise the matter. Sources said the name of the candidates for both the seats would be finalised after discussions with the top State leaders.