Pro-incumbency wave in Chhattisgarh: Kumari Selja

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, November 16

The Congress is riding a pro-incumbency wave in Chhattisgarh and leadership issue is not a challenge, party general secretary in charge of the state Kumari Selja said today.

No rebel factor

Amid the likelihood of rebel candidates impacting 20 of the 90 seats in Chhattisargh, Cong state incharge Kumari Selja said the party had managed to address dissidence

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In an interview to The Tribune on the eve of the second phase of Chhattisgarh poll, she said the Congress was going into elections on the strength of “its achievements.”

“There is pro incumbency in our favour,” she said, defending Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel-run dispensation.

On friction between Baghel and his deputy TS Singhdeo and apprehensions of Congress losing some seats in latter’s bastion, Sarguja, which it had swept in 2018, Selja said the party contested in Chhattisgarh as one and was united.

Asked if CM would reemerge as a contentious issue should the party get re-elected, Selja said, “We go into polls under the leadership of CM Bhupesh Baghel. That is natural but we have other senior leaders with their respective areas of influence such as Deputy CM Singhdeo, state ministers minister Tamradhwaj Sahu and Amarjeet Bhagat, PCC chief Deepak Baij and senior MLA Kawasi Lakhma. In that sense it is collective leadership.”