Chhattisgarh Archives - Lokmarg

C’garh Dy CM Visits Naxal-Affected Silger

By LokMarg 3rd February 2024

Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Of Chhattisgarh, Vijay Sharma visited the Naxal-affected Silger village on the Sukma-Bijapur border in Sukma district on Saturday.

The Deputy CM’s visit comes days after a recent Naxal attack near Silger village that claimed the lives of three individuals and left 14 others injured on January 30.

Upon his arrival, Sharma engaged with soldiers and local villagers in Bastar’s Silger which is known to be the worst Naxal-affected area in the state, inquiring about their well-being and gaining insights into the prevailing situation.

He took the opportunity to apprise the villagers of various government schemes aimed at fostering development and improving living standards in the region.

“Silger is a village in far South Bastar, and it is evident that the entire village harbours aspirations for development. Our camp here symbolizes progress, and we have initiated schemes to facilitate growth,” stated the Deputy CM.

He emphasized the government’s commitment to providing essential facilities such as electricity, roads, drinking water, ration distribution, and healthcare services to the villagers.

“The government will provide all kinds of facilities in the village. Every person in the village, every youth wants progress and development. People think that electricity should come into the village, roads should be built in the village, drinking water should be provided, ration should be provided, health facilities should be provided, everyone wants this and no one is standing in the way of this. Any obstacle that comes will not be tolerated,” he said.

Expressing admiration for the soldiers’ bravery in the face of adversity, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma highlighted the transformation occurring in Bastar, where development camps are being established in previously inaccessible areas.

“I have talked to everyone, the youth also want progress and development, for how long will this continue, a decision will have to be taken,” the Dy CM told ANI.

“Some time ago there was a Naxal attack here, also met our soldiers, met the villagers, let’s see how. There is amazing courage among the soldiers, where it was never possible to come, now development camps are being set up. Bastar is changing,” Sharma remarked.

ACS Niharika Barik echoed the sentiments of the villagers, affirming their eagerness to collaborate with the government in driving progress.

“There is a lot of enthusiasm among the people. They want to progress in their village with the help of the government. The villagers have told the people what are their needs. We will fulfil them gradually by making a plan as soon as possible. We are soon making a plan so that we can do all the programs after saturating all the nearby villages,” the ACS said while speaking to ANI.

She underscored the importance of addressing the villagers’ needs promptly and efficiently, outlining plans to fulfil demands for housing, banking facilities, and the construction of a pond in the village.

“People’s bank accounts have not been opened, hence we are not able to provide them with the facility of the housing scheme. The villagers will provide them with houses as soon as possible. We will try to open a bank account here as soon as possible. There is also a demand for a pond here. We will make that here soon,” Niharika Barik said. (ANI)

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Never Thought I Would Get This Post: New C’garh CM Vishnu Deo Sai

By LokMarg 16th December 2023

Newly elected Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Saturday expressed astonishment at becoming the chief minister of Chhattisgarh saying that he is a farmer’s son, got responsibilities at a young age and had never thought he would get this post.

“I am a farmer’s son and got responsibilities at a young age. I never thought that I would reach this post. I was elected legislator two consecutive times and remained MP four times. I also worked as MoS under PM Modi’s guidance. I am grateful to the party that a huge responsibility has been given to me,” Vishnu Deo Sai told ANI in an exclusive interview.

Sai said, “I believe that, under the guidance of the senior leaders of the party, I will be able to fulfil the responsibility of this post.”

“The party surely rewards those workers or members who do their work with full dedication. This is only possible in the BJP. Other parties follow dynastic politics but the BJP is democratic,” Vishnu Deo Sai added.

Further, the CM said the BJP, known for its staunch opposition to naxalism, lost its grip on the state when the Congress party came into power. This change in power dynamics led to a sense of security among the Naxals, who believed they now had a government in power that was sympathetic to their cause. However, the return of the BJP to power has instilled fear among the Naxals, who anticipate stringent actions against them.

“BJP has always fought against Naxalism, but when the Congress came into power in the state, everything changed… Naxals said, now our government is in power but the moment the BJP again came to power, now they are afraid that action will be taken against them,” Vishnu Deo Sai added.

Sai took the oath of office and secrecy as the chief minister of Chhattisgarh in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.

Vishnu Deo Sai’s name was announced as the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh on Sunday afternoon after a key meeting of the BJP’s newly-elected 54 MLAs in the state was held in Raipur. He won the Kunkuri Assembly seat with a total of 87,604 votes.

Sai is a prominent figure in the BJP and has held various positions, including being the former state chief and former union minister. Sai hails from the influential Sahu (Teli) community, which has a sizable presence in the Durg, Raipur and Bilaspur divisions. He served as the state president of the party for Chhattisgarh from 2020 until 2022. He was the Union Minister of State for Mines and Steel in the first PM Modi cabinet.

He is highly regarded among tribal voters. The new chief minister started his political career as a village sarpanch. In 1989, he was elected as a ‘panch’ of Bagia village panchayat and the next year, he became the sarpanch unopposed.

Meanwhile, from a village sarpanch, Sai rose to the rank of Union Minister of State for Steel in the first Cabinet of PM Modi. In 1998, he was defeated in the assembly polls from the Pathalgaon seat. Vishnu Deo won four consecutive Lok Sabha elections from the Raigarh constituency from 1999 to 2014. He was not given a ticket in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Of the 90 assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh, the BJP bagged 54 while the Congress won 35. (ANI)

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C’garh Records 26.97% Voter Turnout Till 11 am

By LokMarg 7th November 2023

A voter turnout of 26.97 per cent has been recorded in Chhattisgarh till 11 am, according to the Election Commission of India.

The government data shows the highest voter turnout of 34.65 per cent in Kanker, followed by 32.5 per cent in Kondagaon, 28.84 per cent in Antagarh, 27 per cent in Mohla Manpur, 23.21 per cent in Khairagarh, 23.21 per cent in Kawardha, 25 per cent in Khujji, 18.36 per cent in Jagdalpur, and 19.97 per cent in Bastar. The lowest voter turnout of 9.11 was recorded in Bijapur.

The polling started at 7 am for ten seats, which include Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Konta.

Moreover, voting for the remaining assembly constituencies, which include Pandaria, Kawardha, Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Bastar, Jagdalpur, and Chitrakote began at 8 am.

Some of the prominent candidates in the fray in this phase, include Raman Singh (BJP), Bhawna Bohra (BJP), Lata Usendi (BJP), Gautam Uike (BJP), Mohammad Akbar (Congress), Savitri Manoj Mandavi (Congress), Mohan Markam (Congress), Vikram Mandavi (Congress), and Kawasi Lakhma (Congress).

The state of Chhattisgarh is undergoing elections in two phases, with the second phase scheduled for November 17.

There are a total of 223 candidates in the fray for 20 seats. 5304 voting booths have been set up by the election commission for this phase. There are 40 lakh, 78 thousand, and 681 voters in this phase. Of these, there are 19 lakh, 93 thousand, 937 male voters and 20 lakh, 84 thousand, 675 female voters.

In this phase 13 of the 20 seats are reserved for SC/STs. Overall, in the state, 29 seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and 10 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs).

The counting of votes is scheduled for December 3. (ANI)

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Corruption, Welfarism Key Issues In C’garh As Cong, BJP Seek To Woo Farmers

By LokMarg 6th November 2023

Congress and BJP are engaged in a fierce fight in Chhattisgarh, with both parties seeking to outdo each other in terms of poll promises as the state faces the first phase of assembly polls on Tuesday for 20 seats in Naxal-affected Bastar region and a few constituencies in other districts.

“Corruption” and the price of paddy have emerged as key issues in the polls, with the BJP targeting the Congress government led by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on alleged scams and the “hawala money funding” related to the Mahadev gaming app. The Congress has rebutted the BJP allegations and accused the ruling party at the Centre of using probe agencies like the CBI and ED against its rivals to gain political mileage.

The caste factor is also at play in the state that has a large population of OBCs and tribals. Both parties have made efforts to woo nearly 38 lakh farmers in the state. Scheduled Tribes comprise over 30 per cent of the state’s population.

The BJP won three successive polls in the state till 2018 but lost badly in 2018. The party is now seeking a return to power with the slogan that it created the state and will make it prosperous.

Caste census, loan waiver, gas cylinder subsidy, unemployment, jobs and housing for the poor are among other issues being raised in the polls.

Congress has promised paddy procurement at Rs 3,200 per quintal (20 acre per quintal), including input subsidy being given under the Rajiv Gandhi Nyay Yojna.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which released its manifesto a day before the Congress, has promised ‘Krishi Unnati Scheme’ under which 21 quintals of paddy per acre will be procured at Rs 3,100.

The Congress has promised free education to students, free electricity up to 200 units, cheaper LPG cylinders, and a hike in tendu leaf collection at Rs 6,000 per standard sack in place of the existing Rs 4,000.

The BJP’s manifesto ‘Modi ki guarantee’ has several promises including LPG cylinders at Rs 500, government jobs to one lakh youth in two years, and Rs 10,000 annual assistance to landless agricultural labourers.

The party has also assured Rs 12,000 annual financial assistance to married women.

Congress is hoping to capitalize on the welfare schemes announced by its government and the “welfare record” of its government. Party leaders see farmers as a decisive factor in the assembly elections. They said that a key reason for success in the previous assembly polls was promises to farmers, including loan waiver.

Bhupesh Baghel has been trying to counter the Hindutva thrust of BJP with initiatives like Ram Van Gaman Path.

Apart from allegations related to the gaming app, the BJP is also targeting the Congress government over alleged corruption in job recruitment. BJP leaders have spoken of alleged scams in coal mining, liquor trade and even the Godhan Nyay Yojana.

The BJP has been doing well in tribal-dominated areas of the state but in 2018, Congress had quite a sway. Former Union Minister Arvind Netam has floated ‘Hamar Raj Party’ and has accused both Congress and the BJP of not fulfilling the demands of tribals.

Apart from the Aam Aadmi Party and the BSP, there are other smaller parties in the fray.

While the Congress has projected Bhupesh Baghel as the Chief Ministerial candidate, the BJP has not projected a face. With Baghel seen to be wooing the farmers aggressively, the BJP too is keen to capitalise on popularity that former Chief Minister Raman Singh gained as “Chaaur wale Baba”.

The remaining 70 seats in the state will go to the polls in the second phase of assembly polls on November 17.

In 2018, the Congress won 17 of the 20 seats that will go to the polls in the first phase. BJP won two seats while former chief minister Ajit Jogi’s party won one seat.

A total of 223 candidates are in the fray for 20 seats, and the Election Commission has set up 5304 booths for this phase. Officials said 40.78 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase of polling. (ANI)

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Cong To Appoint LS Observers For C’garh Polls

By LokMarg 3rd November 2023

The Congress on Friday approved the proposal for the appointment of Lok Sabha Observers for the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections with immediate effect.

The proposal was approved by the Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal.

Pradeep Kumar Balmachu’s name has been proposed for Raigad while Rajkumar Verka’s for Raipur.

Chhattisgarh is scheduled to hold polls in two phases on November 7 and 17.

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday expressed that his party would emerge victorious in the upcoming Chhattisgarh assembly polls.

“Congress sabke dil men hai. The atmosphere over here is telling us that even the public wants us to win. They want to vote for the Congress party. Because whatever we promised, we fulfilled it”, the Congress president said while speaking to reporters in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur.

Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is a ‘pre-paid CM’ of Congress and that the validity of his talk time has ended.

The Union Home Minister said that Bhupesh Baghel has made Chhattisgarh the ATM of the Congress.

“If Baghel becomes the Chief Minister again, then thousands of crores of rupees will be withdrawn by swapping the ‘pre-paid’ cards daily,” Shah said while addressing Vijay Sankalp Maharally in the Pandariya Assembly constituency here.

The elections for the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held in two phases, with the first phase of polling for 20 seats scheduled on November 7 and the remaining 70 seats to go for polling on November 17.

The counting of votes will be done on December 3.

Congress stormed to power in Chhattisgarh in the 2018 elections, winning 68 out of 90 seats. The party had a vote share of 43.9 per cent. BJP won 15 seats and had a vote share of 33.6 per cent. (ANI)

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Baghel A Pre-Paid CM Of Cong, His Validity Has Ended: Shah

By LokMarg 3rd November 2023

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is a ‘pre-paid CM’ of Congress and that the validity of his talk time has ended.

The Union Home Minister alleged that Bhupesh Baghel has made Chhattisgarh the ATM of the Congress.

During his address, the minister urged the public to vote for Bhawna Bohra, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate from Pandariya in the November 7 (first phase) polls.

“When you all go to vote, do not vote to elect an MLA or a minister…Your vote shapes the future of Chhattisgarh…Your vote is to end Naxalism and make the Adivasi region a developed region,” he said.

“Bhupesh Baghel is looting the people of Chhattisgarh. The person who wants to develop his politics cannot do the welfare of Chhattisgarh. That is why I say that he is a ‘pre-paid CM’ of Congress. Even by mistake, if Bhupesh Baghel becomes the Chief Minister again, then thousands of crores of rupees will be withdrawn by swapping the prepaid cards daily. If all this money goes to Delhi, then how will Chhattisgarh develop?” Shah added.

Sharpening his attack further, he said that the pre-paid CM’s validity has now ended.

“This (pre-paid) CM, his validity was only this much, talking time was only this much. The way in which a pre-paid SIM card stops working when money gets over, in the same way, this CM’s time will be over when money will end. He has done many scams in five years so that his time does not get over,” Shah said further.

The counting of votes will be done on December 3.

Congress stormed to power in Chhattisgarh in the 2018 elections, winning 68 out of 90 seats. The party had a vote share of 43.9 per cent. BJP won 15 seats and had a vote share of 33.6 per cent. (ANI)

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BJP’s Baghel Tears Into Electoral Rival Bhupesh Baghel

By LokMarg 18th August 2023

In a mouth-watering battle that people across Chhattisgarh will have their eyes on, the BJP has fielded its Lok Sabha member Vijay Baghel against his nephew, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, from the Patan constituency in the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.

Speaking to ANI on Friday, the Lok Sabha MP from Durg lashed out at CM Baghel, calling him a “cheater, fraud, and a liar”.

Describing his imminent electoral contest as an “interesting fight” against a “corrupt” chief minister, Vijay Baghel told ANI, “It is going to be interesting to fight against a cheater, fraud, liar and a corrupt chief minister.”

Coming down heavily on his distant nephew, the BJP MP said CM Baghel has betrayed the trust of voters in the Patan Assembly segment.

“The people of Patan reposed their electoral trust in Bhupesh Baghel five times but he betrayed their mandate every time. The people are regretting their decision now amid rising cases of murder, rape, and corruption in the state,” the BJP MP said.

Talking up his chances of upstaging his distant kin in the upcoming Assembly elections, Vijay Baghel thanked party leaders for pitting him against the chief minister in the Patan Assembly segment.

“We will win this election. I’m thankful to the party leaders for giving me the opportunity to fight the chief minister, who also happens to be my distant relative, from Patan. It will be an interesting contest,” the BJP MP added.

The BJP had earlier named the Durg MP, who was with the Congress till 2000, as the party’s in-charge of its manifesto committee, which comprises 30 leaders.

Responding to Vijay Baghel’s allegations against his distant kin, Congress leader Sushil Anand Shukla said the BJP was using the MP for their own benefit, adding that the latter was merely carrying out instructions of his party seniors in hurling abuse at the chief minister.

“The BJP is using Vijay Baghel for their political advantage. The party has instructed him to speak against the chief minister and that’s what he is doing. Vijay Baghel wants to build his election campaign by hurling abuses at CM Baghel. But the people of Patan know that the BJP MP has no hope of upstaging the CM on his home turf. The people know he can’t match the popularity of Bhupesh Baghel. He is just discharging an electoral responsibility. The BJP gave a ticket to a distant relative of the CM just to be in the news,” he said.

“Vijay Baghel has been fielded as a scapegoat. Bhupesh Baghel’s popularity is not hidden from anyone. After entering the fray in the last Assembly elections, Bhupesh Baghel did not campaign in his constituency even once. Yet, the people of Patan gave him a handsome mandate. The CM embodies the honour and self-respect of Patan. His work to raise farmers’ dignity, ensure the safety of women, create employment opportunities for the youth and ensure the well-being of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes makes the heart of every voter of Patan swell with pride. I believe he won’t need to visit Patan to campaign this time as well,” he added.

Meanwhile, moving swiftly as part of its poll preparations, the BJP on Thursday released its first list of candidates for two Hindi heartland states, even as Congress also made a significant change, putting the party’s general secretary Randeep Surjewala in charge of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

BJP released its first list of 21 candidates in Chhattisgarh and 39 candidates in Madhya Pradesh, where it is likely to face a tough contest in the Assembly polls later this year.

The list for the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly includes five women candidates — Laxmi Rajwade, Shakuntala Singh Porthe, Sarla Kosaria, Alka Chandrakar, and Geeta Ghasi Sahu.

In Chhattisgarh, 11 of the 21 seats for which candidates were declared are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC), while the remaining 10 are for candidates from the general category.

Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh, 21 of the 39 seats for which the party has announced its candidate are reserved for ST/SCs.

Five states — Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram — will go to the polls by the end of this year. (ANI)

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11 DRG Personnel Killed In Naxal Attack In Dantewada

By LokMarg 26th April 2023

A total of 11 personnel were killed in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada after an IED attack was carried out by Naxals on a vehicle carrying District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel near Aranpur.

Confirming the incident, Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said, “There is such information with us. It is very saddening. My condolences to the bereaved families. This fight is in its last stage. Naxals won’t be spared.”
“The news of the martyrdom of our 10 DRG jawans and a driver due to IED blast on the DRG force which had arrived for anti-Naxal operation on the information of the presence of Maoist cadre under Aranpur police station area of Dantewada is very sad. We all the people of the state pay our respects to him. We all share in the grief of their families. May his soul rest in peace”, the Chhattisgarh CM tweeted.

Further details are awaited. (ANI)

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Anguished By The Cowardly Attack: Shah On Dantewada Blast

By LokMarg 26th April 2023

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday expressed grief at the deaths of 11 people including 10 police personnel in the Dantewada attack and assured the Chhattisgarh government of all possible support.

Taking to Twitter, Amit Shah stated, “Anguished by the cowardly attack on the Chhattisgarh police at Dantewada. Have spoken to Chhattisgarh’s Chief Minister and assured all possible assistance to the state government. My condolences to the bereaved family members of the martyred jawans”.
Eleven persons, including 10 police personnel, were killed in an IED blast carried out by naxals in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada. It was reportedly an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on the vehicle carrying District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel near Aranpur in Dantewada district.

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also expressed tribute to the slain officers and urged the government to take strict steps.

“Our jawans were killed in the Naxalite attack in Chhattisgarh. This cowardly act of Naxalites is very disturbing information. All the governments need to take immediate strict steps to crush Naxalism. A humble tribute to the martyred soldiers! May their souls rest in peace!” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

Chhattisgarh Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu told ANI that the DRG jawans were sent on the spot based on secret information about Naxal’s presence in the area.

“Secret Information was received about the presence of Naxals. DRG jawans were sent to the spot. When they were returning after the search, an IED attack took place in which 10 DRG jawans and one driver lost their lives. Extra forces have been sent to the spot,” he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and took stock of the Dantewada incident that claimed the lives of 10 District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel and one driver. He also assured the Chhattisgarh CM that the centre will give all possible help to the state government.

Chhattisgarh CM also expressed condolences over the killing of 10 police personnel and one driver in the Chhattisgarh Maoist attack and said that the Naxals wouldn’t be spared.

Bhupesh Baghel said, “There is such information with us. It is very saddening. My condolences to the bereaved families. This fight is in its last stage. Naxals won’t be spared.” (ANI)

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Chhattisgarh’s Violence: VHP Calls State Bandh Today

By LokMarg 10th April 2023

In view of a Statewide ‘bandh’ call by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and other organisations over violence in Chhattisgarh’s Bemetara district, workers of the outfit and those of BJP, which has lent support to the protest, have urged people to close their businesses on Monday.

On Saturday, 22-year-old, Bhuneswar Sahu, was killed in a clash between two groups in the Biranpur village. Three police personnel were also injured in the incident.
Raipur Additional Superintendent of Police Abhishek Maheshwari said, “Today a bandh has been called by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal. An additional police force has also been deployed in all police stations. More than 400 police officers have been deployed in all the police stations, Extra patrolling is also being done.”

“We’ve got information that they plan to hold a ‘chakka jam’ at three to four locations. We will try to disperse them as soon as possible,” the police official said.

BJP district president Jayanti Patel said the decision for a ‘bandh’ was necessary due to the violence in the state. He said that BJP is supporting the call for the bandh.

Superintendent of police (SP) of Bemetara, Indira Kalyan Elesela had said yesterday, “A bandh has been called tomorrow in view of yesterday’s incident. We are ready for this. We hope everything remains peaceful.”

“We are fully prepared. The crowd has been controlled by installing barricades at many places,” he added.

Earlier on Sunday, State BJP spokesperson Kedar Gupta said, “Bharatiya Janata Party will join the Chhattisgarh bandh called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad over the incident in Bemetara that resulted in the death of one youth and the bandh will be held on Monday.”

“… the incident took place in Saja Vidhansabha. There were continuously eight cases of love jihad in that area and Sahu Samaj was creating public awareness that Love Jihad is a crime”, Gupta said.

He also alleged conspiracy behind the youth’s murder and the government was supporting the accused.

Meanwhile, amid heavy police deployment and imposition of Section 144 in the area, the last rites of Bhuneswar Sahu, was performed on Sunday.

According to police, as per preliminary information, on Saturday (April 8) a fight broke out between children belonging to two groups in Biranpur village and subsequently tension escalated leading to a clash between members of two groups.

Police have so far arrested 11 people in connection with the violence and are investigating the case. (ANI)

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