Amit Shah Releases BJP’s Chhattisgarh Manifesto

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A day after the Congress came up with its Chhattisgarh election manifesto, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) president Amit Shah released his party’s list of promises in Raipur on Saturday.

While releasing poll manifesto, CM Raman Singh announced interest-free loans of up to Rs 2 lakh for women to establish their business. Named ‘Sankalp Patra’, the manifesto promises to set up a film city in Chhattisgarh. Besides, distributing free books and uniforms to students up to class 12.

“Under the BJP rule, Chhattisgarh has become a welfare state. Various schemes, including MGNREGA, have been made corruption-free,” said Amit Shah. “Chhattisgarh was the first state to have a legislation on skill development,” he added.

Shah, during the event, also exuded confidence that BJP under Singh’s leadership will retain power in this central state.

All political parties have pushed their top leaders in the campaign to garner support with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi addressing public meetings at different areas of the state. The ruling BJP has deployed top leaders to retain the power in the state, while Congress is trying hard to wrest power from the ruling party.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday released the party’s manifesto for Chhattisgarh which promises farm loan waiver, minimum support price for crops as per the Swaminathan Commission recommendations and ban on liquor sales. Amit Shah and UP CM Yogi Adityanath are scheduled to address rallies in the state to maximise the support ahead of the first phase polls.

With only two days left for the first phase of assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and BJP chief Amit Shah will campaign in the state on Saturday.

Election campaign for the first phase of Chhattisgarh polls will end on Saturday night, 48 hours before the voting on November 12. Chhattisgarh polls will be held in two phases, November 12 and November 20.

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BSP hopes to play kingmaker in Chhattisgarh

Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) hopes to win more than a dozen out of the 35 seats it is contesting in Chhattisgarh assembly election in alliance with the former chief minister Ajit Jogi-headed Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) and play a role in formation of the next government.

The party has deputed several senior leaders to supervise its campaign for the election which will be held for 90 seats in two phases on November 12 and 20, said BSP functionaries.

“Apart from Rajya Sabha member Ashok Siddarth, the party has deputed several leaders such as former Uttar Pradesh ministers Ambika Chaudhary and Lalji Verma, Ajay Bharti and Bhim Rajbhar to personally monitor the election campaign in this small state,” said a BSP functionary, who is camping in Chhattisgarh.

“As per our assessment, there are high chances of formation of a coalition government in the state. So, if we win at least 15 seats, none can ignore our role in the formation of the next state government,” he said.

BSP members said the party has fielded seven candidates in Janjgir-Champa area. “Janjgir, a Lok Sabha constituency which accommodates eight assembly seats, is the most important destination of the BSP in this election in view of its old association with the BSP founder Kanshi Ram who had contested his first general election from here,” said a party member, who did not wish to be identified.

The assembly segments under Janjgir are Akalatara, Janjgeer-Champa, Sakti, Chandrapur, Jaijepur, Pamgarh, Bilaigarh and Kasdol.

In the first phase, the BSP expects to put up a good show in constituencies such as Dongargarh, Donargaon, Keshkal , Kanker and Kondagaon. “We will put up a good show in these constituencies which will go to polls in the first phase of elections,” said the party functionary cited earlier.

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PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi to Hold Rival Rallies in Chhattisgarh Today as Red Terror Looms Over Polls

PM Modi will address a rally in Bastar district’s headquarters Jagdalpur, while Rahul Gandhi will address five rallies in two days.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be in Chhattisgarh on Friday to campaign for the first phase of the Assembly elections in the state, a day after five people died in a bomb detonated by Naxals in Dantewada district.

Modi will address a rally in Bastar district’s headquarters, Jagdalpur, while Gandhi will tour the state for two days during which he will address five rallies and hold a road show in Chief Minister Raman Singh’s constituency, Rajnandgaon.

The prime minister is scheduled to arrive at Raipur airport at 11:20 am and then take a helicopter to Jagdalpur. Following the rally, he will leave for Raipur at 2 pm and then return to Delhi, a state BJP spokesperson said.

“This will be the PM’s first election rally for the state Assembly polls. It will add power to the party’s campaign,” the spokesperson added.

Gandhi will address his first rally in Pakhanjore town of Kanker district at noon, followed by public meetings in Rajnandgaon district’s Khairgarh and Dongargarh towns, and a road show in Rajnandgaon, said head of Congress state communication wing Shailesh Nitin Trivedi.

He will put up at Rajnandgaon for the night and on Saturday, will address rallies in Charama (Kanker district) and Kondagaon, Trivedi said, adding that the Congress chief would also chair a meeting of party workers in Jagdalpur.

Raman Singh is also scheduled to hold a road show in Rajnandgaon on Friday evening. He is pitted against the Congress’s Karuna Shukla, niece of late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The campaigning for the first phase will end Saturday.

The first phase on November 12 will see 18 seats of eight Naxal-affected districts go to polls. Of these, 12 are Scheduled Tribe seats while one is a Scheduled Caste-reserved seat.

The ruling BJP had lost 12 of the 18 seats in the 2013 Assembly polls.

The remaining 72 constituencies will witness polling on November 20 and counting of votes will be held on December 11.

A total of1,291 candidates are in the fray for the two phased state polls.

In the 2013 Assembly polls, the BJP had won 49 seats, Congress 39, BSP 1 and Independent 1 in the 90-member House.

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Amit shah Live : BJP president to visit poll-bound Chhattisgarh on Sunday

Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh is seeking re-election from his known bastion the Rajnandgaon assembly constituency.

BJP president Amit Shah will visit Chhattisgarh on Sunday, November 4 and address several public meetings in the state where Assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 12 and 20.

BJP chief, who had visited Chhattisgarh last month in Bilaspur region and also Raipur, will be given a “grand welcome” by the party leaders on his arrival at Raipur.

In the afternoon, he will address a public rally at Ambagarh Chowki and Khujji Vidhan Sabha in Rajnandgaon district.

Chief Minister Raman Singh is seeking re-election from his known bastion the Rajnandgaon assembly constituency.

According to BJP sources here, Mr Shah will address public gathering at Sadak Atariya, Khairagarh Vidhan Sabha in Rajnandgaon district.

During his last visit to Chhattisgarh, BJP national president had addressed a meeting of party’s intellectual cell in Raipur and almost staged a ‘surgical strike’ on Congress when the working president of the grand old outfit Ramdayal Uikey was roped in to ‘rejoin’ the BJP.

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Congress releases final list of 19 candidates for Chhattisgarh polls

The Congress on Friday released its final list of 19 candidates for Chhattisgarh elections, bringing to the fore differences between the state leadership.

Party sources in Raipur said state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel, an MLA from Pattan, is miffed over selection of candidates in his home district of Durg.

Leaders in Baghel camp are blaming poll in-charge PL Punia for denial of tickets to his loyalists. Former National Commission for Schedule Castes (NCSC) chief Punia, however, denied any differences between him and Baghel. He dubbed such reports as “false” and “baseless” and stated that Baghel was in Delhi to finalise the list and then left for Rajnandagaon for elections.
The party first announced Pratima Chandrakar’s name from Durg Rural seat but later substituted her with Congress MP Tamradhwaj Sahu, whose name figured in the last list announced on Thursday. Chandrakar was Baghel’s nominee since she happened to be daughter of his mentor, said Congress sources close to the party’s state president.

A Congress leader, however, stated that party high command vetoed in favour of Punia owing to feedback they had got from internal survey on candidates. Party wanted to give representation to Sahu, a member of the Congress Working Committee, to send a message to OBCs.

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Chhattisgarh Polls : Scrutiny of nominations held for final phase of elections; Monday is last day of withdrawal

In Chhattisgarh, scrutiny of nominations for the second phase of assembly elections took place today.

AIR correspondent reports, in Chhattisgarh, more than two thousand six hundred nominations were filed by the candidates in 72 assembly segments, which are going for poll in second phase.

Yesterday was the last day for filing of nomination papers. On the last day, over one thousand three hundred nominations were filed.

In last assembly elections in the year 2013, one thousand eighty two aspirants had filed their nomination papers from these 72 constituencies.

More than one crore 53 lakh voters, including 76 lakh females, are eligible to exercise their franchise in second phase.

The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is November five. Vikalp Shukla, AIR News, Raipur

Chhattisgarh has 90 constituencies. Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in two phases on November 12th and 20th.

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DD channel cameraman, 2 policemen killed in Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh

HIGHLIGHTS

Doordarshan team covering Chhattisgarh polls was accompanied by a police team
2 injured police personnel are undergoing treatment at Dantewada district hospital
Several Union ministers condoled journalist’s death and condemned the Naxal ambush

One mediaperson and two policemen were killed after Naxals carried out an attack in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada. Two other security personnel were also injured in the attack, which took place in Dantewada’s Aranpur area.

The mediaperson who died was Achyutananda Sahu, a cameraman with the state-run broadcaster Doordarshan. The two policemen were with the district force.

“Those killed were identified as sub-inspector Rudra Pratap, assistant constable Mangalu and DD News cameraman Achyutananda from Delhi,” Deputy Inspector General (anti-Naxal operations) Sundarraj P told news agency PTI.

The Naxals ambushed a squad of local police which was carrying out patrolling on motorcycles from Sameli camp towards Nilawaya on Tuesday morning, he said.

A three-member team of Doordarshan was travelling for election-related news coverage at the same time and was caught in the cross-fire, he said.

Achyutananda Sahu was part of the team that included a reporter and a light assistant.

Teams of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG) were immediately rushed to the forest to trace the ultras, the DIG added.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh police personnel injured in the attack, Vishnu Netam and Rakesh Kaushal have been referred to Raipur from the district hospital in Dantewada where they were undergoing treatment.

Condoling the death of Sahu, the director general of Doordarshan said, “Our hearts go out to the families of our brave cameraperson Shri Achyutananda Sahu and CRPF Jawans who laid down their lives in the line of duty.”

Prasar Bharati, which supervises Doordarshan, too condoled the cameraperson’s death in a separate tweet.

Soon after, Doordarshan put out a statement saying, “The entire DD News family salutes his service and stands by his family in this hour of grief.”

The minister information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore too condoled Sahu’s death. “Deeply saddened by the demise of our cameraman Achyuta Nanda Sahu and two jawans… These insurgents will NOT weaken our resolve. We WILL prevail,” Rathore said in a tweet.

Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal followed suit and said, “Pained and angered at the Naxal attack on CPRF jawans and DD News crew in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. I strongly condemn such a cowardly and dastardly act.”

The Doordarshan team was in Nilawaya village in Aranpur, where voting will be held for the first time in history.

Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases on November 12 and 20.

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Raipur diary: Chhattisgarh CM launches poll campaign, Congress mum on manifesto

Raman launches Bastar poll campaign

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh kicked-off the BJP’s Bastar mission with the agenda of peace and development. Noting that growth of the region at four-time the original rate was his main agenda, Singh said the Bastar region remains a priority even for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Bastar region, larger than Kerala in an area, is affected by the Maoist violence. Political parties believe the tribal belt holds a key to the formation of the government.

It is also true that the myth about ‘road to power from Bastar’ was dented in 2013 when the Congress won eight of the 12 seats from Bastar. Modi will address his first election rally at Jagdalpur in Bastar on November 9.

Congress to maintain secrecy on manifesto

Without naming the BJP, chairman of Congress manifesto Chairman T S Singhdeo claimed that during the previous elections, the opposition took out a leaf out of its manifesto which it had declared before. Singhdeo was referring to the Minimum Support Price of Rs 2,000 and a bonus of Rs 250 which the Congress had mentioned in its manifesto. Later, the BJP had allegedly revised its own manifesto and hiked up the MSP and bonus to Rs 2,100 and Rs 270 for peddling them as their main poll agenda.

The Congress state committee is likely to release the manifesto after the ruling BJP, sources in the Congress said. A total confidentiality is being maintained while preparing the manifesto this year, they added.

‘Happea’ for happiness and peace

The word ‘Happea’ sounds strange, but the mission is noble. The word derives its name from the first three letters of ‘happiness’ and ‘peace’. In fact, this is the prime objective of Raipur-based academician Jawahar Surisetti behind the launch of a unique web-portal.

The portal is built on the premise that different age groups have different definitions and reasons for happiness. The idea came to him after he was struck by the low ranking of India in the Global Happiness Index.

“There is a mismatch, with India being the spiritual capital of the world but also not being happy,” he said. The Happea movement caters to four segments – kids, teens, young adults, and senior adults.

Shortage of 2000 currency notes

The shortage of currency notes of 2000 denomination ahead of the Assembly polls is being linked to a rising demand of cash during the elections. The disappearing of these pink notes from the markets and ATMs has led to this suspicion gathering strength. Even though bankers admit that there is a shortage of these notes, they claim they cannot do anything as most of these notes in circulation is not returning to the banks. Bank customers are getting money in the denominations of K500, K200 and K100 from ATMs. “There is no unusual demand of K2,000 notes in the state. Either the hoarding (of these notes) is to be blamed, or the printing of such notes has stopped,” tax consultant Ramesh Warlyani said.

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Congress releases third list of candidates for Chhattisgarh polls; party banking on old and new faces to regain power

The Congress is banking on a combination of new faces and old-timers in ticket distribution to end its 15-year wait to rule Chhattisgarh, which goes to polls next month.

The Opposition party, late on Saturday evening, released a list of candidates — its third — for 37 Assembly seats going to polls in the second and last phase of voting on 20 November. It has renominated 15 sitting MLAs and fielded 11 candidates who had lost in 2013, besides giving tickets to 11 fresh faces.

No sitting MLA was denied a ticket in the third list. However, only three women figure in it.

A Congress leader said the party is ensuring that representation is given to all sections of society. “It is a completely balanced list wherein the party has given representation to leaders belonging to all sections of society,” claimed the head of the Chhattisgarh Congress communication wing, Shailesh Nitin Trivedi.

“Candidates were selected on the basis of the party’s survey and performances of leaders,” he said, adding that it is a “well-planned strategy” to win the upcoming election.

The two lists released earlier contained 18 names. With this, the Opposition party has, so far, announced 55 candidates in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh, which has a 90-member House.

State Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel (Patan seat), Congress Legislative Party leader TS Singhdeo (Ambikapur), senior Congress leader Satyanarayan Sharma (Raipur Rural) and prominent tribal leader Amarjeet Bhagat (Sitapur) were among the sitting MLAs who were given tickets.

In the last Assembly polls, 26 Congress sitting MLAs, including prominent leaders like Rampukar Singh, Ravindra Choubey, Amitesh Shukla and Mohammad Akbar, had tasted defeat. This time, Singh (Pathalgaon-ST), Shukla (Rajim), Akbar (Kawardha) and Choubey (Saja) have been renominated from their respective seats.

Chhattisgarh Congress working president Shiv Kumar Dahariya, who had lost the previous election from Bilaigarh (SC), has been fielded from Arang (SC) this time. Similarly, Guru Rudra Kumar, who had lost the 2013 election from Arang, has been given a ticket from Ahiwara (SC).

A popular young Congress leader, Vikas Upadhyay, who had lost to BJP minister Rajesh Munat from Raipur West last time by a margin of 6,160 votes, has been renominated from the seat. He will take on Munat again.

Among other leaders who have been given tickets despite losing the 2013 polls are Premsai Tekam (Pratappur) and Pratima Chandrakar (Durg Rural).

Vinay Kumar Bhagat and Uttamdan Minj, who had lost the 2008 Assembly election from Jashpur and Kunkuri, respectively, have been fielded from the same seats this time. Vinay Jaiswal, an eye surgeon, Devendra Yadav, Ramkumar Yadav are among the fresh faces fielded by the party this time.

Bhilai Municipal Corporation Mayor Devendra Yadav, a youth leader, has been fielded from the Bhilai Nagar seat, where he will take on state minister and sitting BJP MLA Premprakash Pandey. Jaiswal will contest from Manendragarh.

Ramkumar Yadav, a prominent farmer leader, had contested from Chandrapur constituency as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate in 2013 and had finished runner-up. He recently joined the Congress, which has given him ticket from Chandrapur.

Voting in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases — on 12 November and 20 November — and counting will take place on 11 December.

The first phase covers 18 seats spread across eight naxal-affected districts — Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Sukma, Kondagaon, Kanker, Narayanpur and Rajnandgaon. The remaining 72 seats will see polling on 20 November.

The ruling BJP has so far announced 78 candidates.

In 2013, the BJP had won 49, the Congress 39, the BSP 1 and an Independent 1.

The BJP has been ruling the tribal-dominated state, which came into existence in November 2000, since 2003 under the leadership of Raman Singh.

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Satta market bets big on BJP in MP and Chhattisgarh, Congress in Rajasthan

Highlights
“We are confident that the BJP would make a comeback while scope for the Congress is slim in MP. BJP would also win Chhattisgarh whereas Congress will make a comeback in Rajasthan,” said a bookie
Satta market in every election runs in crores. Bets are placed not just over phone, but also on websites and online mobile applications

Whether BJP would form government for the fourth time or Congress will make a comeback after 15 years in Madhya Pradesh?

While a political party may win or lose but the ensuing elections would bring in some extra moolah for bookies in the festive season.

As the parties struggle to finalise candidates, the satta market is already on a high this election season.

If the trend in satta markets is anything to go by, BJP would make a comeback in MP. Bookies are bullish on ruling BJP in the election. The rates in satta market point at the possibility.

As per the bookies, if a person places a bet of Rs 10,000 on BJP, he would get Rs 11,000 in return if the party comes to power while in case of Congress, the stake holder tends to lose Rs 10,000 for placing a bet of Rs 4,400.It means profit is offered more on Congress by punters believing that the party would not be able to make a comeback in this assembly election. Profit margin is low for BJP since bookies believe more people would like to place a bet on BJP.

“We are confident that the BJP would make a comeback while scope for the Congress is slim in MP. BJP would also win Chhattisgarh whereas Congress will make a comeback in Rajasthan. The satta market is running good this poll season. Rates may vary once the tickets are finalised by the parties, but we expect the trend to remain the same,” said a bookie.

Satta market in every election runs in crores. Bets are placed not just over phone, but also on websites and online mobile applications, leaving almost no room for police to nab the bookies and the ones placing the bet.

Probably, this is the reason why no gang has been busted in state so far for running election betting racket. And it is not that people in major cities, including Bhopal are not into betting. At least three cases of betting are registered daily in Bhopal. The craze of betting is more for cricket and it is shifted to politics only during the polls.

Officials said busting an online betting racket is a challenge as such gangs keep moving from one place to another. Online betting can be operated even from a moving car, café or from any public place in the city, state or from any other part of the country.

DIG Dharmendra Choudhary said the police are running special campaigns against criminals involved in gambling and betting ahead of elections. The criminals are being made to sign bonds to prevent them from committing such crimes in the future. He said that crime branch, Bhopal monitors and keeps an eye on online betting. Raids are being conducted on receiving specific tips to nab criminals. Police station level actions were also taken against such illegal betting and gambling dens being operated in the city.

ASP (Crime) Rashmi Mishra said crime branch activated its network of informers in the city prior to elections to keep an eye on illegal activities. She said that it is difficult to crack online betting and gambling rackets, but police take actions against criminals after specific inputs.

Speaking about websites and mobile apps for gambling, IG (Bhopal) Jaideep Prasad said police would act against such rackets on getting specific inputs and complaints. The state cyber cell keeps a constant vigil on such websites and mobile apps and take necessary action, he said.

SP (cyber cell) Bhopal Rajesh Bhadouria said the cyber cell takes action against any criminal activity which falls under the provisions of IT Act. The cyber cell is keeping a constant vigil on cyber-crimes in view of upcoming elections, he said, adding, action is taken on basis of any intelligence or information received on any specific activity.

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