BJP, Cong old rivals face each other for third time from Bilaspur

Bilaspur, Nov 16 (UNI) Altogether 15 candidates, including an eunuch, are in the fray from Bilaspur assembly seat that goes to polls during the second phase of assembly polls in Chhattisgarh but the main contest is between the BJP and the Congress.

Mr Yunus Ali also known as Shakeel Bhai is contesting Bilaspur seat as BSP candidate. Other candidates are from the Bharatiya Jan Shakti, the Bharatiya Pichchada Dal and the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party apart from five indpendents.

BJP leaders had mentioned about various development work carried out during the five-year-rule of the party and compared its rule to that of previous fifty years during election meetings.

BJP candidate Amar Agrawal was confident of victory on the back of developmental works to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore carried out during his tenure. He would score a hattrick of winning from the seat if he retains it.

On the other hand, the Congress was raising the issue of corruption vociferously. The Congress has charged the BJP with dearness allowance scam and awarding contracts to near and dear ones.

Mr Agrawal's old rival Congress candidate Anil Tah held the outgoing legislator responsible for political exploitation and was appealing to people to give right decision.

Mr Tah had also raised the issue of no improvement in the condition of the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) during the tenure of Mr Agrawal as the state Health Minister.

Whether BSP nominee Yunus Ali is able to attract Muslim votes forming 12 per cent of the total electorate remains to be seen.

A total of 1,91,804 electorate -- including 99,101 men and 92,703 women -- would exercise their franchise on November 20.

This will be the third time Mr Tah will be contest from the Bilaspur seat. In both his earlier attempts, he had lost to Mr Agrawal.

The first time he had contested as an independent candidate when he was unable to get the endorsement from the Congress, which fielded former minister and the then sitting legislator B R Yadav's son Krishna Kumar Yadav.

Mr Tah was runner-up during the 1998 polls, while the Congress candidate came third. In 2003, he was the official Congress candidate from Bilaspur.

Though the main fight is between the BJP and the Congress, the impact of other candidates, including independents, cannot be denied.

UNI XC-PS 1628