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.