Raman contesting from Rajnandgaon

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Raipur, October 20, 2008: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh is all set to change his assembly segment from Dongargaon to Rajnandgaon, BJP top sources said today.

Amid speculation of his contesting from Raipur to Kawardha, the BJP strategists today finalised the seat for the BJP Legislature Party Leader and said he would be contesting from Rajnandgaon.

Although Kawardha was actively considered and was the most favourable seat for the Chief Minister but Rajnandgaon is a much better seat compared to many others, a top BJP leader told the ChhattisgarhTopNews.Com.

Rajnandgaon is picked up as the position of Congress in that segment is not good in one hand and the old association of Singh with Rajnandgaon and its location to give extra time for the Chief Minister to move and campaign for the party candidates in other areas on the other hand were some of the vital points, the leader said.

Currently Rajnandgaon is being represented by Udai Mudliyar of Congress, who defeated his nearest rival and former Minister Leelaram Bhjwani of BJP in a thin margin of just 40 votes in the 2003 assembly election.

During the previous assembly election, the Rajnandgaon assembly had 1,48,542 voters, out of which 76.61 or 1,13,804 had exercised their franchise. Udai Mudliyar had secured 43,081 or 37.88 per cent votes to become victorious where as Leelaram Bhojwani of BJP got 43,041 or 37.85 votes and NCP’s Ashok Choudhury got 16,944 or 14.9 per cent and B P Mesram of the BSP got 3,549 votes or 3.12 per cent votes to remain in fourth position, election office sources said.

Through a by-election Dr Raman Singh entered the state assembly in 2003 from Dongargaon of the same Rajnandgaon district.

Dongargaon had 1,12,636 voters, out of which 80,158 or 71.16 per cent cast their votes in 2003 polls. Dr Singh got 42,115 or 52.53 per cent votes where as Geeta Devi Singh of Congress secured 32,004 votes or 39.92 per cent. Dayalu Chandel of BSP was in third position with 2,473 (3.08 per cent) votes and Independent Lakshman Das got 1,663 (2.07 per cent) votes.