Amit Shah: Congress win in Chhattisgarh will mark return of appeasement politics

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, October 16

A day after the Congress fielded all its top guns in the upcoming Chhattisgarh elections, the BJP went all guns blazing against the ruling party, accusing it of fomenting communal divide.

In Rajnandgaon today to accompany former CM Raman Singh for filing of nomination papers, Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared that Congress’ victory in the state would guarantee the return of appeasement politics.

Shah was referring to April riots in Bemetara district which left a local resident, Bhuneshwar Sahu, dead. Bhuneshwar’s father Ishwar Sahu has now been fielded as a BJP candidate from Saja in Bemetara.

“The Congress killed Bhuneshwar for vote bank politics. If the Congress returns to power, it will again start expanding appeasement politics. The BJP alone can get justice for Bhuneshwar Sahu,” Shah today said at a rally in Rajnandgaon, which Raman Singh is contesting for the fourth time. He won from here in 2008, 2013 and 2018.

Shah also sought to target CM Bhupesh Baghel as a CM leading “a 30% commission government” — a charge the Congress rejected. Shah’s addresss was significant considering the BJP’s woes in Chhattisgarh on account of lack of a credible leadership.

No credible leaders

• Struggling with the absence of a credible state leadership, the BJP is all set to attack the Congress over “vote bank politics” and corruption
• The party has also fielded Biranpur riot victim Bhuneshwar Sahu’s father as a candidate in this year’s poll