Chhattisgarh assembly elections: Caste equation to determine poll outcome in Patan

  • | Thursday | 15th November, 2018

Earlier Congress used to get support from Sahu community as well, but this time Sahu voters are leaning towards BJP candidate Motilal Sahu. RAIPUR: Caste permutations and combinations are the dominating factor in high-profile assembly constituency of Patan where Chhattisgarh Congress president Bhupesh Baghel is locked in a tough triangular contest. Pointing towards the alarming situation of alcoholism, the staff at Patan Community Health Centre (CHC) said that out that nine out of 10 patients come in an inebriated condition for treatment. There is also a perception that BJP candidate is unfamiliar with the locals, who are politically well-informed.“This is for the first time that Sahu community is united against the Congress and Kurmi candidate. Bhupesh Baghel is contesting from Patan since 1993 and he lost only once to BJP’s Vijay Baghel in 2008, who had won the seat by a margin of 7,842 votes.

RAIPUR: Caste permutations and combinations are the dominating factor in high-profile assembly constituency of Patan where Chhattisgarh Congress president Bhupesh Baghel is locked in a tough triangular contest. Surprisingly, the contest is not between between the Congress, BJP and Janata Congress, but between Kurmis and Sahus— the powerful other backward class (OBC) communities of the state.Senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, one of the front runners for the post of chief ministers in the event of Congress wresting power from BJP after a span of 15 years, is locked in a close contest with BJP’s Motilal Sahu and Shakuntala Sahu of Janata Congress- BSP-CPI alliance, led by former chief minister Ajit Jogi. All the major players in the constituency seems to be banking on OBC card.Congress chief’s nephew Vijay Baghel was an aspirant for BJP ticket, which however fielded Motilal Sahu at the last moment, hoping to woo the Sahus, who are also equally powerful Kurmis— the community to which Baghel belongs to. Jogi also threw spanner in the works by fielding Shakuntaka Sahu as his party’s candidate—making the contest triangular.Except in 1990 polls, Kurmi candidates have always won this seat ever since it was carved out as an assembly constituency in 1977. Bhupesh Baghel is contesting from Patan since 1993 and he lost only once to BJP’s Vijay Baghel in 2008, who had won the seat by a margin of 7,842 votes. Baghel had won the constituency four times and is contesting for the sixth time.Local party leaders said, BJP preferred to field a candidate from Sahu community to take on powerful Congress leader because the number of Sahu voters had increased in the constituency during the last decade. BJP had given tickets to 14 candidates from Sahu community from across the state this time to keep the community vote intact.Amidst caste talk everywhere in the constituency, the electorate seems to be keeping their cards close to their chest while some others are raking up the outsider issue against the BJP nominee. Ashwini Sahu, a local voter, told TOI, “Congress had won Patan since undivided Madhya Pradesh and Baghel is popular face in the region, whereas BJP candidate Motilal Sahu, who hails from Raipur , faced opposition from within the BJP’s rank and file after the party, nominated him as a candidate”. There is also a perception that BJP candidate is unfamiliar with the locals, who are politically well-informed.“This is for the first time that Sahu community is united against the Congress and Kurmi candidate. Earlier Congress used to get support from Sahu community as well, but this time Sahu voters are leaning towards BJP candidate Motilal Sahu. This spirit among the Sahus is going to be a game changer,” says Niranjan Sahu of Patan.Calculating the voters based on demographic census, Patan’s Janpad panchayat president, says out of 1.93 lakh voters in Patan the Sahus comprise around 35% while Kurmi voters are about 30% and scheduled caste Satnami community presence is about 15%. Two dominant communities among OBCs- Kurmi and Sahu account for around 36% of the state’s population.Indications are that Janata Congress-BSP alliance is hoping to get the support of SC Satnami community and other communities and hopes to create a major dent in the vote share on both the Congress and the BJP.Balram Yadav from Patan says, “There are several factors and no one knows what will happen at the last moment. To overcome shortcomings in health and education sector in Patan, several Kurmis and Sahus had shifted their allegiance to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over the last couple of years so the constituency doesn’t remain neglected with a high-profile state Congress chief as its legislator.Highlighting the issues of the Patan, local villagers said, there is no private or Government College in Patan and around 70 villages of North Patan are dependent on Bhilai and Raipur for higher education. The farmers have no quick access to water to irrigate their fields from Tandula River. The water is released to Bhilai Steel Plant, but to gain access the farmers have to sit on dharna and receives water supply only after major hue and cry.Lack of industrialization has led to unemployment which is a major issue in Patan. With no employment avenues, the youth have turned towards alcoholism. Pointing towards the alarming situation of alcoholism, the staff at Patan Community Health Centre (CHC) said that out that nine out of 10 patients come in an inebriated condition for treatment. Highlighting health sector’s shortcomings, the staff said there is shortage of doctors and there is no radiologist since the past three years in Patan’s CHC.

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