Cong workers told to be vigilant as 20 seats in Maoist-hit Bastar in Chhattisgarh goes to polls on Nov 7

“We have reviewed the poll preparations and have asked the booth committees to ensure that more and more people turn out and vote. The BJP is nowhere on the ground but still, our workers have been asked to be vigilant. The war rooms will also keep in touch with the candidates and the local teams to ensure smooth polling,” said AICC secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh Saptagiri Ulaka while speaking to ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi:The Congress on Monday reviewed the polling-day strategy a day before the crucial phase-I election in Chhattisgarh and asked the booth-level teams to keep a vigil and ensure maximum voter turnout. Polling in the 20 Assembly seats falling in the Maoist-affected Bastar area will take place on November 7. The Congress, which had won 11 out of the 20 seats in the Bastar area in the 2018 polls, is keen to repeat the performance this time.

According to party strategists, the Central and State war rooms have been asked to keep an eye on the phase-I polling on November 7. Also, the party managers have asked the booth-level teams to keep a vigil against any mischief by the rival BJP and bring out the voters. “We have reviewed the poll preparations and have asked the booth committees to ensure that more and more people turn out and vote. The BJP is nowhere on the ground, but still our workers have been asked to be vigilant. The war rooms will also keep in touch with the candidates and the local teams to ensure smooth polling,” AICC secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh Saptagiri Ulaka told ETV Bharat.

According to party insiders, the initial Congress estimates in Bastar were six seats following which an action plan was put into motion. As part of the effort, the local booth-level teams were recast, trained and prepared for the polling day. Also, the party workers were asked to increase awareness about the State government’s welfare schemes in the Maoaist-affected areas of Bastar, the party insiders said.

As polls drew near, a lot of surveys were done to assess the anti-incumbency against the party MLAs in the region. Later, tickets of a few sitting MLAs were cut and new faces were given a chance as the mood of the voters was not against the State government per se, but they had some issues with their elected representatives.

“When we came to power, we released 1,700 tribals, who had been implicated in false cases during the previous Raman Singh government. Land titles were given to the tribals besides better remuneration for picking tendu leaves used in bidi making. Now, they want schools, banks, roads and hospitals,” said Ulaka.

The AICC functionary has covered all the 20 Assembly seats in the Bastar area, along with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. “We hope to retain as many as 11 seats in the Bastar area this time as well. The momentum generated in the Phase I areas will also travel to the Phase 2 areas. We are confident of forming the government again. The only issue is how many seats do we get,” said Ulaka.

“If we have a decent number of seats beyond the halfway mark of 46, the BJP will be discouraged from trying to indulge in horse trading,” he said. The Congress functionary claimed that due to the farmer's loan waiver, several BJP supporters have turned to the grand old party in the Bastar areas.

“I have visited many booths. I met a woman, who bought a bike for her son with the money she made by selling cow dung and cow urine. Earlier, they were with BJP, now they are with us,” said Ulaka.