Anjora village in Chhattisgarh elects two MLAs at a time

Candidates of both constituencies campaigned in Anjora village before the poll. Sometimes, people get confused because candidates from both constituencies come to the village for election campaigning. Posters and banners of the candidates can be seen throughout the village.

Rajnandgaon: In the run-up to the Chhattisgarh state elections, Anjora village, a seemingly ordinary settlement in the heart of the state, has once again captured the political limelight. This unassuming village, nestled between the Durg and Rajnandgaon districts, becomes the centre of attention every five years when it elects two Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). As Chhattisgarh gears up for the upcoming polls, Anjora is poised to play a pivotal role in the electoral landscape.

Anjora village is unique in its political significance, divided solely by roads and the boundaries of two distinct assembly constituencies. On one side of the road, you'll find families falling under the Rajnandgaon constituency, while on the other side, residents belong to the Durg rural constituency.

Located approximately 10 kilometers away from Durg city, this village straddles Mumbai-Howrah National Highway 53, acting as a crucial link between the two constituencies. Administratively, it is governed by two separate panchayats, Anjora Gram Panchayat in Rajnandgaon and Anjora Kha (B) Gram Panchayat in Durg.

In the lead-up to the election, both constituencies have witnessed fervent campaigning within Anjora village. This unique scenario sometimes perplexes the villagers, as candidates from both constituencies descend upon the village, covering it in a tapestry of election posters and banners.

Anju Sahu, the village head of Anjora Panchayat on the Rajnandgaon side, hailing from the Congress party, shared insights into this distinctive arrangement. She highlighted that the village, despite being geographically divided, enjoys a peaceful coexistence, with residents celebrating festivals and other occasions together.

“The village is divided by roads. People here live peacefully and celebrate festivals and other occasions together,” Sahu said. Sahu's ancestral home is in the Anjora B area, which votes for the Durg rural seat. While his in-laws vote for the Rajnandgaon constituency.

This division can be traced back to the formation of the Rajnandgaon district in 1973, when it was separated from the larger Durg district. Since then, Anjora village has been split into two panchayats, reflecting the delineation of the political landscape.

Both Rajnandgaon and Durg Rural constituencies are crucial in this election, with high-profile candidates vying for victory. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated former Chief Minister Raman Singh as its candidate for the Rajnandgaon seat, pitting him against Girish Dewangan of the Congress. Simultaneously, in the Durg rural constituency, which constitutes another segment of the village, the Congress has fielded Tamradhwaj Sahu, while the BJP has chosen the relative newcomer Lalit Chandrakar.

As the election date approaches, all eyes are on Anjora village, where the roads that divide it also serve as the lines of demarcation in a complex political landscape. Its unique position underscores the diversity and intricacies of Indian elections, where even the most unassuming villages can take centre stage in the democratic process.