Marwahi bypoll 2020: Tribal surgeon BJP's pick in Ajit Jogi bastion

Raipur, Oct 12: The BJP on Sunday announced the candidature of Dr Gambheer Singh for the November 3 bypoll to tribal-dominated Marwahi Assembly seat which fell vacant after the death of sitting MLA and Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) chief Ajit Jogi in May this year.

"Dr Gambheer Singh's name was finalised for Marwahi bypoll by the BJP's Central Election Committee on Sunday in New Delhi," a state BJP spokesperson said.

Marwahi is dominated mainly by Kanwar and Gond tribal communities. "Singh who hails from Gond community is a prominent name in the field of medicine and social service," the spokesperson said.

The Congress and the JCC (J) are yet to announce their candidates for the bypoll for which the last date of filing of nominations is October 16. 52-year-old Singh did his MBBS from Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal in 1994 and his post-graduation in surgery from G R Medical College in Gwalior in 1998. He resigned as professor from Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Medical College, Raipur, in 2012 and set up his own hospital in the state capital, the spokesperson said.

In 2018 assembly polls, Ajit Jogi polled 74,041 votes from Marwahi constituency, defeating BJP's Archana Porte by a margin of 46,462 votes, while the Congress candidate finished third. The constituency, which nowfalls in Gaurela-Pendra- Marwahi (GPM) district, has been the bastion of the Jogis since the formation of the state in 2000.

After becoming the first Chief Minister of the state in 2000, Ajit Jogi contested a by-election from Marwahi in 2001 and won. He emerged victorious the 2003 and 2008 Assembly elections as well.

In 2013, Ajit Jogi's son Amit Jogi successfully contested from Marwahi. In 2016, Jogi senior quit the Congress and floated Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J). He won from Marwahi again as JCC (J) candidate in 2018 polls which saw the Congress coming to power by decimating the BJP which was at the helm.

The JCC (J) had bagged five seats while its ally the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won two seats in the assembly elections. In 2019, the Congress scored victories in Chitrakoot and Dantewada byelections, taking its tally in the 90-member House to 69 while the BJP has 14 MLAs.