Congress releases second list of 53 candidates for Chhattisgarh assembly elections

The Congress party has released its second list of 53 candidates for the upcoming Chhattisgarh assembly elections. The list includes 14 women and 32 new faces.

Raipur: The Congress on Wednesday released its second list of 53 candidates for the upcoming Chhattisgarh assembly elections, giving representation to every section of society, the ruling party's state unit chief Deepak Baij said here.

Selection based on winnability

The party has heeded the preferences of its workers in the selection too, he said. The applications of ticket aspirants were considered seriously and selection was done on the basis of winnability, Baij told reporters here.

14 women, 32 new faces

Of 83 candidates declared so far out of 90, 14 are women and 32 are new faces, he noted. Mahant Ramsundar Das of the famous Dudhadhari Math in Raipur has been fielded from Raipur South seat, he added.

Congress to win 75-plus seats

The Congress will achieve the target of winning 75-plus seats, Baij said. Every section including Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes and general category, women and sant-mahatma have been given opportunity, he said.

BJP fields old-timers

He also took a swipe at the BJP for fielding old-timers including former ministers, and alleged that these people had exploited the state for 15 years when the saffron party was in power. The Congress government fulfilled 95 percent of the promises made in 2018, he claimed.

BJP hits back

State BJP spokesperson Vimal Chopra, on the other hand, said Chief Minister Baghel had tried to put the blame on Congress MLAs for the failures of his government. So far 18 Congress MLAs who have been denied ticket have been made scapegoats, he said.