Cong yet to spell out names for C'garh polls

With the last date to file nominations for the first phase of polls in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, the Congress is yet to announce its list of candidates.

The BJP has done its bidding on Saturday and on Monday announced six candidates for the seats in Rajnandgaon.

The Congress is in a fix over who to pit against Chief Minister Raman Singh, in the Rajnandgaon constituency.

For the last three times, the Congress candidate in the constituency has been pushed to corner, being defeated with a large margin twice.

A list of round 12 candidate is emerging but party leader like Rajnandgaon district president Nawaz Khan and town president Dinesh Sharma are of the view that a state level Congress leader should be brought in to fight the elections against Raman Singh.

Party leaders are also trying to get Karuna Shukla, niece of the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to enter the poll fray against the chief minister.

Congress party insiders said that on late Monday evening, after AICC president Rahul Gandhi’s visit concludes, the list of candidates for the first phase of polls would be announced.

Nawaz Khan said that the Congress has faced defeat against Raman Singh with wider gap for two times.

Recommendation has been given for placing any state level Congress leader against Singh, he said and added that the Congress would be working together and give a tough fight.

If local leaders are to be selected, then new faces can be put to test but it would be an experimental effort, he said.

Meanwhile, a key Congress leader Girwar Janghel, contending for the Khairagarh seat, has filed his nomination papers.

JCC(J) has filed Devvrat Singh, former MLA from Khairagarh, as its candidate and BJP has fielded Komal Janghel, also a former MLA and parliamentary secretary, as its candidate for the Khairagarh seat.