EC has given little time: TS Singh on first phase of Chattisgarh assembly polls

SURGUJA (Chhattisgarh): Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo said on Monday that the Election Commission has given very little time for the first phase of assembly elections in Chhattisgarh as there are multiple tasks which have to be taken undertaken by the Congres in the state.

"On November 7, the first phase of (assembly) elections will take place. For these 20 seats, the Election Commission has given very little time. In this little time, the Congress will get to the activities of making all the preparations, filing nominations, seeing the Dussehra celebrations and other festivals meeting with the people, and performing better in the elections," TS Singh Deo told reporters.

Earlier, on Sunday, the Congress announced the first list of 30 candidates for the Chhattisgarh assembly elections. The first phase of polling for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 7, and the remaining 70 seats in Chhattisgarh will go to polls on November 17. The ruling party in the state has fielded Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel from Patan and Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo from Ambikapur.

Congress has fielded Girish Devangan in Rajnandgaon, where he will contest BJP leader and former state chief minister Raman Singh. Congress leader Taradhwaj Sahu will contest the polls from Durg (Rural), Ravindra Choubey from Nawagarh, Yashoda Verma from Khairagarh, Vikram Mandavi from Bijapur, Lakheshwar Baghel from Bastar, Deepak Baiji from Chitrakot and K Chavindra Karma Dantewada. The counting of votes will take place on December 3 in all the states.

Of the five states, polling in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases. The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement of poll dates. Earlier after the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress witnessed a landslide victory winning 68 seats out of 90 of those against the then ruling-BJP, which acquired 15 seats.

Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party are the key players in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Telangana is expected to witness a triangular contest between the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Congress and BJP. The BJP aims to wrest power from the Congress-ruled state which is expected to set the tone for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls.