The Congress party finally succeeded in pacifying its disgruntled leader — the former Zila Panchayat president, Chabindra Karma to withdraw his nomination in favour of his mother and Congress candidate from Dantewada, Devti Karma.

Chabindra withdrew his candidature on the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers on Friday.

Senior party leaders had tried to convince Chabindra after he raised his rebellion attitude and continued his adamancy to contest polls as an Independent candidate.

Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CGPCC) President Bhupesh Baghel and Deputy Leader of Opposition Kawasi Lakhma had carried out efforts to pacify him through talks.

Chabindra Karma had filed his nomination papers as Independent candidate and was declared Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from Dantewada but he refused to go with the party later.

Chabindra had revolted seeking Congress party ticket even before the Congress declared the party ticket and had filed the nomination papers as an Independent candidate while thinking that party would give him the ticket but instead sitting MLA Devti was repeated as candidate.

But Devti Karma was confident and was saying right from the beginning that she would convince her son that he would not fight the election against her. Finally, it did happen and the Congress party heaved a sigh of relief at last.

Commenting on the development, senior Congress leader Satyanarayan Sharma said “when blood calls, the blood would return”.

He said that in the first phase of polls at two constituencies there was resentment where damage control has been done. In first phase, Congress will be leading in all the 18 state assembly constituencies, he claimed.