Chhattisgarh Assembly polls – State issues

Ajit Vijay Kumar

Maoist violence: The dastardly Darbha attack is an emotive issue which the Congress hopes will earn it sympathy in Chhattisgarh, especially in the crucial Bastar which sends 12 MLAs to the Assembly. In 2008 the party could win just one seat from the region. 18 out of the 27 districts in the state are Maoist affected. Corruption: While Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh has had a blemish free career despite being in power for 10 years, the recent CD exposure where a bank manager, during narco tests, claimed to have paid bribes to the CM and some other ministers, has cast a shadow on the BJP government’s track record on corruption. The Congress has also accused the Raman Singh government of siphoning off funds from central schemes like MNREGA, PMGSY and NRHM. On the other hand, the BJP is going to the people with tales of alleged corruption during the UPA government’s reign at the Centre. Inflation: The BJP is also banking on the issue of inflation, especially the skyrocketing prices of food and other basic essentials. The Raman factor: Dr Raman Singh is being dubbed as the BJP’s trump card in Chhattisgarh owing to his immense popularity all across the state. He is known to be very humble and approachable who has worked his way up to the top within a short span of time. He may have had his run-ins with powerful ministers like Brijmohan Agarwal but Raman Singh has largely been in control. SC quota: The scheduled castes in the state are upset over reduction in their quota from 16% to 12% and may play a spoiler for the BJP in many seats in central Chhattisgarh.