Chhattisgarh assembly elections: In Surguja, uphill task for Congress to repeat 2018 performance as it faces infighting, anti-incumbency
anti-incumbency are key challenges for the Congress as it seeks to repeat its 2018 performance in the Surguja administrative division of Chhattisgarh in the ongoing assembly elections. In 2018, the party had swept all 14 seats in the region for the first time since the formation of the state, which gave its tally a considerable boost as it went on to win 68 out of the total 90 seats and oust the BJP from power after 15 years.
But the rivalry between Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Deputy CM T S Singh Deo, who hails from the region, could hurt the party's prospects, one analyst said.
The division consists of six districts: Jashpur, Korea, Surajpur, Surguja, Balrampur and the newly formed Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur (MCB).
These six districts together have 14 seats — Kunkuri, Pathalgaon and Jashpur in Jashpur district; Ambikapur, Lundra and Sitapur in Surguja district; Pratappur, Ramanuganj and Samri in Balrampur; Premnagar and Bhatgoan in Surajpur; Baikunthpur in Korea, and Manendragarh and Bharatpur-Sohnat assembly seats in MCB district. All the seats will go to polls in the second phase of the elections, that is, on November 17.
