2018 Chhattisgarh Assembly Election Nov 12 and Nov 20,2018

Having seen tight BJP-Congress electoral battles over the years, Chhattisgarh will see a new dimension in the two-phase polling next month: a third political formation, which may challenge, or at the very least disturb electoral calculations, in the tie-up between the BSP and Chhattisgarh Janata Congress (CJC).

While the BJP has governed the state since 2003, it has won with narrow vote-share advantage over the Congress – the 2013 election saw a difference of less than 1 per cent.

Fifteen years out of power, the Congress has its own challenges. The first is the party’s apparent inability, at both national and state state level, to finalise crucial tie-ups — with either BSP, Gondwana Ganatantra Party or even the CPI, which is influential in at least two seats in Bastar.

Over the last one year, BJP, which won nine out of 10 reserved SC seats in 2013, found itself fighting an anti-Dalit image amid protests around amendments to SC/ST Act. But with BSP teaming up with Jogi’s CJC, the Congress is now trying to woo OBCs — the party has appointed Tamradhwaj Sahu as chairman of its OBC wing.

Holding its advantage in the 29 reserved ST seats, of which it has 18, is also crucial for the Congress.