Congress struggles to keep morale high in Chhattisgarh
May 16th, 2011 - 2:49 pm ICT by IANS
Raipur, May 16 (IANS) The Congress, which has been out of power in Chhattisgarh since December 2003, is struggling hard to keep the morale of its workers high after losing the Bastar Lok Sabha seat to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in last week’s by-poll.
“We lost the battle for Bastar comprehensively despite a rare show of unity displayed by various factions of the Congress. The loss has further eroded the morale of party workers in the state where we have been suffering one humiliating defeat after another since December 2003,” a senior Congress leader told IANS, preferring not to be named.
The BJP has been ruling the state since December 2003 assembly elections.
Congress nominee Kawasi Lakhma lost the Maoist-affected seat — reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, to the BJP’s Dinesh Kashyap by over 88,900 votes. The seat went to polls May 8 amid wide disruptions by Maoists in forested areas. The result was declared May 13.
The leader said the state’s tribal voters had rallied behind the Congress for a long time but the situation completely changed after 2003. The BJP presently holds 11 assembly seats out of Bastar region’s total 12 seats.
“It’s very depressing that the Congress is failing regularly since 2003 in challenging the BJP in the mineral-rich state. After the Bastar loss, the big worry for us is to raise the morale of the party workers,” the leader said.
- Battle for Bastar: tribal legislator threatens to dislodge BJP - May 07, 2011
- Committed to restoring peace in Bastar: Raman Singh - May 05, 2011
- BJP wins Bastar for fifth consecutive time (Second Lead) - May 13, 2011
- Congress says it will win Bastar by-poll - Apr 27, 2011
- Bastar is ours, say both BJP and Congress - May 10, 2011
- BJP government has no control in Bastar: Ajit Jogi - Apr 30, 2011
- BJP consolidates lead in Bastar Lok Sabha seat (Lead) - May 13, 2011
- Congress struggles to pick candidate for Bastar - Apr 07, 2011
- BJP leads in Bastar Lok Sabha seat - May 13, 2011
- Eight candidates for Bastar Lok Sabha seat - Apr 22, 2011
- BJP to step up campaigning in Bastar - Apr 25, 2011
- Polling begins for Bastar amid Maoist violence - May 08, 2011
- By-poll ahead, but no one's campaigning in Bastar interiors - May 03, 2011
- Chhattisgarh seeks extra troopers for Bastar by-poll - Apr 25, 2011
- BJP keeps Maoist issue alive in Chhattisgarh: Congress - Jun 09, 2011
Tags: assembly elections, assembly seats, bastar, bharatiya janata party, bjp, chhattisgarh raipur, congress leader, dinesh, disruptions, factions, forested areas, kawasi, Lok Sabha, long time, maoist, maoists, poll, rare show, tribes, unity