Congress challenges BJP in Chhattisgarh with 29 OBC candidates

Raipur. In the Chhattisgarh assembly elections, Congress is continuously trying to make its strategy of defeating its opposition party BJP through backward classes effective. On one hand, Congress has played the role of caste census, on the other hand it has left no stone unturned in making backward people as candidates. Talking about assembly elections, voting is going to be held in two phases in the state. The first phase on November 7 and the second on November 17. There is sure to be a direct contest between the two parties on 90 seats in the state and Congress, being the ruling party, is trying to return to power by eliminating all kinds of anti-incumbency.

The biggest bet that Congress has made is with the backward classes, on one hand, Congress is continuously talking about caste census after returning to power, on the other hand, it has made a person from OBC category a candidate on 29 out of 90 seats. If seen from one perspective, it is more than 33 percent in percentage terms.

The state has a large number of people belonging to backward class Sahu, Kurmi, Yadav, Kalar and Rajwar castes and keeping this in mind, Congress has made candidates belonging to these classes. Congress has been advocating reservation on the basis of caste for a long time. Not only this, it was claimed that 52 percent of the population in the state was OBC, but the state government got the calculations done through the Quantifiable Data Commission and this figure came to 43 percent.

Congress has taken steps in many ways regarding OBC, where Bhupesh Baghel, who belongs to this class, has been made the Chief Minister, while on returning to power, it has talked about conducting a caste census and fought for giving 27 percent reservation. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel says that BJP is against reservation.

There was an order of the court that on what basis are you giving 27 percent reservation to the backward classes. We had conducted headcount only of backward classes and EWS in which it was found that OBCs are 43.5 percent, does BJP not believe that OBCs in Chhattisgarh are more than 43 percent? If you don’t agree then clarify this.

At the same time, BJP is accusing Congress of adopting the path of appeasement politics and is also terming the recent murder of Bhuneshwar Sahu in Raipur as a part of this politics.

Political analysts believe that the backward classes are going to play a big role in the state assembly elections and that is why both Congress and BJP are becoming followers of these parties. Congress is in power in the state and it is getting a better opportunity to fulfill its promises. Congress leaders are busy giving the account of their achievements in the last five years and the steps taken for OBCs are being taken vigorously.

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