Durg (Rural) to be a spectacle of fight of strategy between Cong and BJP
   Date :03-May-2023

Cong and BJP 
 
 
 
By E V Murli &
Prasanta Sarkar
The upcoming assembly election in Durg Rural constituency promises to be a riveting spectacle, with the current Home Minister, Tamradhwaj Sahu, touted as the Congress candidate. In the previous election held in 2018, Tamradhwaj Sahu had emerged victorious over his BJP opponent, Jageshwar Sahu, by a margin of 27,112 votes, and thus holds a considerable advantage in the constituency dominated by the Sahu community.
Both the Congress and the BJP are expected to field candidates from the Sahu community, but the voters of Durg Rural have demonstrated their wisdom and conscientiousness during previous elections. They are cognizant of their rights and demand a candidate who will work for the betterment of the constituency. While caste equations have an impact on electoral politics, the image and performance of the candidates hold greater sway in parliamentary elections. In most cases, the candidate with a better image among the people triumphs, regardless of their caste.
Tamradhwaj Sahu is the strongest contender for the Congress ticket in Durg Rural. A towering leader in the Congress party, he was almost appointed as the Chief Minister of the state after the previous elections, despite not having made any significant contributions to state politics at the time. However, his nomination was eventually opposed, and the Congress high command was forced to change the chief ministerial candidate. Even so, Tamradhwaj Sahu remains a force to be reckoned with in his community and the government.
However, Tamradhwaj Sahu’s performance as a minister in the Congress government has consistently come under attack from the BJP, labelling him as weak. This has led many to question whether Tamradhwaj Sahu is a safe bet for the upcoming elections. Although he won the Durg Lok Sabha seat during the BJP wave, his supporters are in a dilemma about his ability to retain the Durg Rural seat this time. Hence, the sudden change in his supporters’ stance is bewildering. If Tamradhwaj Sahu decides to shift to Bemetara or any other constituency, several candidates, such as Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Rajendra Sahu, former MLA Pratima Chandrakar, Jayan Deshmukh, Bunty Harmukh, and others, are vying for the Congress ticket. Pratima Chandrakar, who is close to the Chief Minister, had previously contested and lost the election, and it remains to be seen whether the party will reconsider her claim. Rajendra Sahu, meanwhile, stated that many claimants are in the running for the Durg Rural ticket, but the final decision rests with the high command. On the other hand, the BJP is expected to field a fresh face, with the names of former Zila Panchayat President Maya Belchandan and Lalit Chandrakar doing the rounds. Jageshwar Sahu, who lost to Tamadhwaj Sahu in the previous election, is also in the fray, but his supporters’ backing is insufficient to bolster his claim. The BJP’s senior party leader suggests that an OBC candidate is likely to be fielded, given the constituency’s caste equations, as caste has increasingly become a crucial factor in electoral politics. While the BJP is keeping a close eye on the Congress party’s moves and strategies, the Congress is optimistic about a better performance this time, citing the rural and farmer-friendly schemes of the Bhupesh Baghel government. They believe this will ensure their victory in the 2023 elections. However, the BJP is confident that 2018 will not repeat itself and that they will emerge victorious, casting doubt on the Congress win.