After four lok Sabha elections, more than 200 candidates are in the poll fray, in the 11 constituencies of Chhattisgarh. Earlier, in 1996, 290 candidates had contested the election. This time, 211 candidates in all are trying their luck.
Because of the strictness of the Election Commission and inevitability of affidavit, the number of candidates had been decreasing continuously after 1996. In 1991, 172 candidates, including 10 women, had fought the election in 11 seats of the State. All of a sudden, in 1996, the number of candidates rose to 290. There were 271 males and 19 women in the election battle field. However, the number grew down to 107, which included 8 women candidates, in the 1998 election.
In the mid-term poll in 1999, the number of candidates had come down to 94, including 8 women. In 2004 election, with nominal increase, the number of candidates had gone up to 102, including 12 women.
In the 2009 lok Sabha election, 198 candidates, including 15 women had entered into the poll battle. However, 467 candidates had filed their nominations at that time, 183 either had withdrawn their names or were rejected at the time of scrutiny.
This time 211 candidates are in the field, of which, the highest 36 candidates are in the Raipur lS seat. 26 candidates each are fighting the election from Durg and Bilaspur constituencies. A total of 24 candidates are in the fray for Korba seat, whereas, 15 candidates are trying their luck from the Janjgir-Champa seat, reserved for the scheduled tribes.
From the reserved Scheduled Castes (SC) seats of Raigarh and Sarguja, 12 and 14 candidates respectively are contesting the election. The lowest 8 candidates are in the field in Bastar seat.
From Rajnandgaon seat 13 candidates contesting the election, in Kanker 10 and 27 candidates in Mahasamund seats.