Congress which is desperate to end BJP’s winning streak in Chhattisgarh, on Thursday announced its candidates for all 12 assembly seats of restive Bastar region which goes to polls in first phase on November 12.
Congress has largely relied on its sitting MLAs and accommodated seven out of its eight sitting MLAs in the list.
Party has dumped Shankar Dhurva, sitting MLA from Kanker and replaced him with an emerging local popular face Shishu Pal Sori.
In last Assembly polls held in 2003, Congress had bagged eight seats while the BJP won just four seats from Bastar region.
Overall 18 seats will go to polling in first phase and Congress has still been working on final candidates for Rajnandgaon district’s six seats.
Ruling BJP is expected to announce first list of candidates by Saturday. Congress has once again fielded trusted face Kawasi Lakhma from State’s worst Naxal-hit constituency Konta from Sukma district.
Lakhma is winning the seat for past three elections and he is largely described as ‘undefeated candidate’ in Bastar’s political corridor.
State Congress has declared Anoop Naag from Antagarh seat, Manoj Singh Mandavi from Bhanupratappur seat, Santram Netam from Keshkal seat, Mohan Lal Markam from Kondagaon, Chandan Kashyap from Narayanpur, Lakheshwar Baghel from Bastar seat, Rekhchand Jain from Jagdalpur seat, Deepak Kumar Baij from Chitrakot seat, Devati Karma from Dantewada seat and Vikram Singh Mandavi from Bijapur seat.