Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP Releases Third List of Candidates for Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has released its third list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. This announcement comes as the Congress-ruled state gears up for polls, scheduled to be held in two phases on November 7 and 17.
The AAP, known for its symbol of the broom, has now released a total of 33 candidate names for the 90-member assembly. The party took to Twitter to share the list, wishing all candidates the best for the elections. They wrote, “This time broom will sweep. #ChhattisgarhMangeKejriwal.”
11 Seats Reserved, Candidates Announced
Among the 11 seats mentioned in the list, one each is reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) nominees. In the previous 2018 assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, the AAP had contested in 85 out of the total 90 seats but failed to secure any wins. This time, the party hopes to turn the tables and make inroads into the state.
The list includes the following candidates:
- Dr Akash Jashwal (Baikunthpur seat)
- Chandrakant Diksena (Katghora)
- Manbhajan Tandon (Lormi)
- Deepak Patre (Mungeli-SC)
- Durgalal Kewat (Jaijaipur)
- Lekh Ram Sahu (Kasdol)
- Jashwant Sinha (Gunderdehi)
- Sanjeet Vishwakarma (Durg rural)
- Chameli Kurre (Pandariya)
- Jagdmohan Baghel (Bastar-ST)
- Narendra Bhawani (Jagdalpur)
In addition to Chhattisgarh, the AAP has expressed its readiness to contest the upcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan with full strength. The party is expected to announce the names of candidates for these states soon.
Political Landscape in Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh has long been dominated by bipolar politics, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress taking center stage. However, in the 2018 polls, a third front emerged when the late Ajit Jogi’s Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) formed an alliance and secured seven seats. The Congress emerged as the clear winner with a landslide victory, claiming 68 seats and comfortably forming the government. The BJP’s seat count was reduced to 15, while the JCC (J) and the BSP secured 5 and 2 seats respectively. Currently, the Congress holds a majority with 71 seats in the house.
This time, the AAP aims to make its mark in the state, especially with the JCC (J) losing traction after the unfortunate demise of Ajit Jogi in 2020. It is worth noting that in the previous year’s Gujarat polls, the AAP ran a vigorous campaign but only managed to secure five seats in the 182-member assembly.
As of now, the opposition BJP has announced candidates for 85 seats, while the ruling Congress is yet to release its nominees. Apart from Chhattisgarh, several other states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram will also be going to the assembly polls between November 7 and 30. The counting of votes for all these states will take place on December 3, according to the Election Commission.