Raipur, Oct 18: In an attempt to check-mate the effect of five time MP Arvind Netam joining NCP, the Chhattisgarh congress unit has decided to field his younger brother against him in the coming assembly poll, top party sources said today. "Shiv Netam, the younger brother of Arvind Netam, had represented the Keshkal seat in 1985-1990 and Kanker in 1993-98. He became a minister in the Digvijay Singh government in undivided Madhya Pradesh and enjoys considerable clout among tribals", the sources told a news agency here. Shiv Netam had a meeting with Ajit Jogi last night, where the strategy was chalked out, the sources said. Arvind Netam, had left Congress to join NCP ahead of December 1 poll to put the party in a difficult situation in Bastar region, which has 12 seats in the 90-member house and all represented by congress, hence as a part of strategy it has been decided to counter him through his brother, they said.
Besides Shiv, other close associates of Arvind Netam like Kanker Zilla Panchayat president Rajaram Gotha, Zilla Panchayat member Yamuna Devi and Congress leader Pappu Farista also met Jogi and expressed faith in his leadership, the sources said. Bureau Report