Electioneering for the first phase of the Assembly polls picked up in full motion as both the main contenders — Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress, mobilised all their resources to convince and woo the voters. The poll is scheduled on November 11.
Though none of the star campaigners of either party reached Maoist violence hit Bastar till date after filing of nominations, Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh is making whirlwind tour of the area and has conducted as many as 6 public meetings in few days seeking mandate for the party candidates.
On the other hand, former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, All India Congress Committee general secretary and Chhattisgarh In-charge BK Hariprasad, AICC secretary and spokesman Bhakta Charan Das, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Charandas Mahant are virtually camping in Bastar to ensure victory of the Congress candidates. local and State level leaders of both the parties are not leaving any stone unturned in wooing voters to win 12 Bastar seats which are considered vital for forming the Government in the State.
Meanwhile, the Congress has lined up its star campaigners including party High Command Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit Bastar after Diwali between November 6 and 9 where as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s poster boy Narendra Modi will hold meeting for party candidates in Bastar on November 7.
Notably, 18 Assembly constituencies, 12 of Bastar division and 6 of Rajnandgaon district, considered as sensitive from Maoist violence point of view, will go to poll in first phase scheduled on November 11 in which the electorates will seal the fate of 142 candidates left in the fray after scrutiny and withdrawal of candidature.