Jangir-Champa: BSP to try its luck against INC, BJP

People from scheduled castes still swear by the name of Kanshiram in a state where the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has never been in power.

Jangir-Champa, from where the BSP founder contested his first Lok Sabha elections in 1984 as an independent candidate but lost, is shaping up as a triangular battle of votes in the third phase of parliamentary polls to be held on April 23.

The BSP, which has fielded its candidates from all 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in Chhattisgarh, is hoping to win the Jangir-Champa seat in this election for the first time, buoyed with its victory on two assembly seats here in the State polls five months ago.

The party's alliance with Ajit Jogi's Janata Chhattisgarh Congress (JCC) has added to the confidence of the BSP as the seat is dominated by the Satnamis with whom Jogi has considerable clout.

This is the only seat where BSP supremo Mayawati held a public meeting on April 14 in presence of Jogi and other leaders of their party. Extending his support to the BSP, Jogi has opted out from the fray.

From Congress to BJP

Since 1957, the Congress has won the Janjgir-Champa Lok Sabha seat nine times while the BJP five times.

It was BJP candidate Dilip Singh Judeo of Jashpur royal family who first wrested the seat from the Congress winning election in 1989 with a record margin. The seat later went back to Congress in 1991 through its candidate Bhawani Lal Verma.

In 1996, BJP candidate Manharan Lal Pandey won from the constituency. It went back to Congress in 1998 with Charan Das Mahant, who is now Speaker of the Chhatisgarh assembly, winning it.

In 2004, the Congress lost it again to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayi's niece Karuna Shukla won it for BJP. Since then the Janjgir-Champa is with the BJP and the saffron party's Kamla Patle is sitting MP from here for last two consecutive terms.

While the BSP has fielded three-term MLA Dauram Ratnakar from the seat, the Congress has fielded Ravi Bhardwaj, son of party's six term MP Paras Ram Bhardwaj from undivided Madhya Pradesh and later Chhatisgarh.

The BJP, however, has fielded its former MP Guharam Ajgalle from the seat, dropping its two-term sitting MP.

Janjgir-Champa seat, Chhatisgarh

1989: BJP (Dilip Singh Judeo)
1991: INC (Bhawani Lal Verma)
1996: BJP (Manharan Lal Pandey)
1998: INC (Charan Das Mahant)
1999: INC (Charan Das Mahant)
2004: BJP (Karuna Shukla)
2009: BJP (Kamla Patle)
2014: BJP (Kamla Patle)

2019 candidates

BSP: Dauram Ratnakar

INC: Ravi Bhardwaj

BJP: Guharam Ajgalle