Amit Shah to Address Two Rallies in Chhattisgarh's Bastar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address two rallies in Chhattisgarh's Bastar division, where polling will be held in the first phase on November 7.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address two rallies in Chhattisgarh's Bastar division on Thursday, October 19, in a bid to boost the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) campaigning for the upcoming assembly elections in the Congress-ruled state. This will be Shah's second visit to the state after the announcement of the election schedule for the 90-member assembly.

Key Poll Strategist

Earlier, the former BJP president, who is considered a key poll strategist for the party, had addressed an election rally in Rajnandgaon on October 16. Voting in the state will be held in two phases on November 7 (20 seats) and November 19 (70 seats).

Shah's Schedule

Shah is scheduled to arrive at the Maa Danteshwari Airport in Jagdalpur from New Delhi shortly after noon. He will then attend a public meeting and nomination rally at Lalbagh Maidan in Jagdalpur. Later, he will leave for Kondagaon, where he will attend another election meeting and nomination rally at Police Ground.

Naxal-Affected Region

Both Jagdalpur and Kondagaon fall under the Naxal-affected Bastar division of the state. In the first phase, polling will be held in Konta, Bijapur, Dantewada, Chitrakot, Jagdalpur, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Keshkal, Kanker, Bhanupratappur, Antagarh, Mohla-Manpur, Khujji, Dongargaon, Rajnandgaon, Dongargarh, Khairagarh, Kawardha, and Pandariya assembly segments. The remaining 70 seats will be covered in the second phase.

BJP's Preparations

The BJP has announced its candidates for 86 seats, including all 20 going to polls in the first phase. The ruling Congress had registered a landslide victory in the 2018 polls, winning 68 of the 90 seats. The BJP, which has ruled the state for 15 years (2003-2018), was reduced to just 15 seats, while the JCC (J) and the BSP bagged 5 and 2 seats, respectively. The current strength of the Congress in the assembly stands at 71.

Amit Shah's visit to Chhattisgarh's Bastar division is seen as a significant boost for the BJP's campaign in the upcoming assembly elections. The region is considered crucial for both the BJP and the Congress, and the outcome of the polls will have a major impact on the political landscape of the state.