Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Gurudas Dasgupta, and loktantrik Samajwadi Party president Raghu Thakur are among few, who are likely to campaign for newly formed Chhattisgarh Swabhiman Manch, a senior leader said here on Tuesday.
The Manch which has emerged as a third force by forging alliance with a string of regional parties including the Communist Party of India (CPI) to espouse the cause of the local has announced candidates for 40 seats. It is also expected to announce the names of the candidates for 12 more seats.
The party which aims to take on two national level parties Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, is targeting the aspirants who would be denied tickets by the main parties. The Manch’s central spokesman Raju Kumar Gupta said his party is out to give a tough fight to both Congress and BJP in the Assembly election due next month. Manch is also planned to launch massive election campaign across the State.
According to him, large number of national level leaders will visit Chhattisgarh and join the campaigning. The party planned to organize massive public meeting and rallies in places like Raipur, Bilaspur, Jagdalpur, Korba, and Raigarh. Besides the party has also planned to rope in Chhattisgarhi artists and singers in the election campaign, he said. Deepak Mahobia of Rajnandgaon will campaign for the party along with his troupe. Similarly Arjunda, and artists from Bhilai will motivate the electorate through their arts.
Chhatrisgari film star Sekhar Soni and singer Sunil Soni will also join them, he said. Expressing his confidence that the Manch will emerge as an alternative to Congress and BJP, Gupta said the national leaders and artists will start campaigning for the party after Diwali. A political analysit said the Manch may upset the calculation of major parties.