A high-octane battle is expected between a Didi and a Bhauji in Chhattisgarhs Korba parliamentary constituency next month. The BJPs Saroj Pandey has locked horns with Congress outgoing MP Jyotsana Mahant. Naturally, a fierce and direct contest is being widely projected. Saroj Pandey is a Rajya Sabha member from Chhattisgarh whose term ends in April. Korba, one of the 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, is a traditional bastion of the Mahant family. Saroj Pandey is called Didi by BJP workers while as the seat has been twice represented by Charandas Mahant. His wife Jyotsana is widely known as Bhauji.  Former Union Minister and the present Leader of Opposition in the Chhattisgarh Assembly, Charandas Mahant, or his wife Jyotsana have represented the constituency for two out of the three times since the seat was carved out in 2009. The BJP has been accused of parachuting Saroj Pandey who belongs to Durg region. At the same time, Jyotsana faces allegations of being inactive after being elected in 2019. Jyotsana denies the charge. Talking to The Pioneer, she cited the opening of a new medical college, an office of the Employees State Insurance Corp (ESIC) in Korba district headquarter, and a Degree College at Umreli of the constituency as her achievements during the current tenure. She also promised many more works and said the Mahant family was committed to the development of the Korba constituency. Saroj Pandey also denies charges of being an outsider and vowed to augment health facilities and other civic amenities in the mineral-rich district. The BJP performed well in the Assembly polls late last year. The Korba parliamentary seat comprises eight Assembly constituencies, six of which are represented by the BJP. The parliamentary seat comprises Bharatpur-Sonhat, Manendragarh, Baikunthpur, Rampur, Korba, Katghora, Pali-Tanakhar and Marwahi seats. Rampur is represented by Congress Phool Singh Rathia while tribal seat Pali Tanakhar is represented by Tuleshwar Markam of Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP). Charandas Mahant won in 2009 defeating former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees niece Karuna Shukla of the BJP. He lost to BJPs Banshilal Mahto in 2014 by a narrow margin. In 2019, Jyotsana succeeded in snatching the seat from the BJP by defeating Jyoti Nand Dubey by a comfortable margin.

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