Chhattisgarh: Raman Singh on way for record win

Rajnandgaon, Nov 12: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and BJP candidate Dr Raman Singh might be way ahead of his rivals in his home district but his family members have put all their strength to reach almost all the pockets of the constituency to ensure his victory with a record margin.

Wife Bina Singh and son Abhishek were going around the constituency asking the voters to support the 'Doctor' so that the development work in their area continued for another five years.

Dr Singh, who had shifted to Rajnandgaon from nearby Dongargaon constituency in the same district, was himself camping in his constituency for the last two days as polling was scheduled on November 14.

Coming up as an educational hub of the state with seven private engineering colleges, one dental college and an ayurvedic college, Rajnandgaon has sizeable youth from among 1.65 lakh electorate.

Spread over 83 gram panchayats and an urban local body, the constituency has a total of 230 polling stations.

Political analysts say the BJP has an added advantage as the local people are euphoric over the fact that the constituency would automatically get VIP treatment for being the chief minister's constituency.

Though Dr Singh is facing challenge from Congress candidate and sitting legislator Uday Mudaliar and 12 others, main contest would be between the Congress and BJP. BSP candidate Maulesh Tiwari and others are yet to show their presence in the constituency.

Entire Rajnandgaon constitutency, which is about 80 Kms from the state capital, is covered with flags, posters and banners of the BJP and only in some places presence of Congress and other parties could be seen.

In the bypoll held in 2004 after resigning from the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat, Dr Raman Singh got elected from Dongargaon assembly segment with just a margin of over 10,000 votes. This time, his attempt is to register a victory with a record margin, BJP sources said.

In undivided Madhya Pradesh, Dr Singh was elected to the assembly in 1993 and 1998 from Kawardha. He became a Minister of State in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government after winning the Lok Sabha election from Rajnandgaon in 1999. Though there are no major issues in the elections here, but Congress candidate Uday Mudaliar is concentrating on door-to-door campaign raising the corruption in the present BJP government.

On the other hand, the team of the Ayurveda doctor, who was born on October 15, 1952, was assuring the voters that the development work would get a momentum if the BJP candidate was voted to power.

Dr Singh, who has a keen interest in watching Bollywood movies while Madhubala and Amitabh Bachchan are his favourite actors, starts his day with doing Yoga and a couple of glass of butter milk.

Talking to UNI, Dr Singh said in his family, his mother has good knowledge of politics. This time when he went to file his nominations, she gave him Rs 51 to use it for his election campaign, he added.

When asked whether his son Abhishek might enter politics, Dr Singh said ''it would be his own decision as he would not force him to join politics''.

On the other hand, when was asked about his future, Abhishek, who has completed engineering degree, flatly said he wants to work in the education field. ''Presently I am just helping my dad in the election campaign and it should not be read otherwise'', he commented.

When this correspondent attended a small election meeting at Thakurtola area last night, Dr Singh's wife Bina was seen assuring the people in broken Chhattisgarhi dialect that she will again come to the village and have tea with them after her husband wins the election.

Meanwhile Congress candidate Uday Mudaliar said there is an ''under current'' in the constituency against the CM and the poll result on December 8 will certainly give everybody a surprise.

However, local people appreciates the CM for his efforts to turn the region into an educational hub and thereby raising the employment opportunity. A number of youth have been engaged in these colleges or even started their small business, said local tea stall owner Radheshyam.

A rickshaw puller Moti said though he was not a voter but still he wanted that the CM should win the seat as it would have a sense of some pride for the people here.

UNI