New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday released its third list of candidates for the forthcoming Chhattisgarh assembly elections. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party announced the candidacy of 11 people in Chhattisgarh.
In the 2018 Assembly polls, AAP had put forth 85 candidates in Chhattisgarh, but none of them managed to secure their deposits. The Congress emerged victorious in the polls for the 90-member House, ending the Bharatiya Janata Party’s 15-year reign in power.
The recent list of 11-candidates include—Dr. Akash Jashwal (Baikunthpur), Chandrakant Diksena (Katghora), Manbhajan Tandon (Lormi), Deepak Patre (Mungeli), Durgalal Kewat (Nishad) (Jaijaipur), Lekh Ram Saahu (Kasdol), Jashwant Sinha (Gunderdehi), Sanjeet Vishwakarma (Durg Gramin), Chameli Kurrey (Pandariya), Jagmohan Baghel (Bastar) and Narendra Bhawani (Jagdalpur).
Announcement 📣
Third list of candidates for Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2023 is here.
All the best to all the candidates ✌️🏻
इस बार चलेगी झाड़ू ! 🔥#ChhattisgarhMangeKejriwal pic.twitter.com/DKuMgb9EGb
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) October 12, 2023
Chhattisgarh will undergo polling in two phases, with the first phase of 20 seats set for November 7, 2023. The remaining 70 seats is scheduled for November 17. Vote counting is slated for December 3, and the term of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly is expected to conclude on January 3, 2024.
In the previous elections, the Congress won 68 out of the total 90 assembly seats, while the BJP claimed a distant second with 15 seats. The Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J), established by the late former CM Ajit Jogi, secured five seats, and its ally, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), emerged victorious in two segments.
The BJP currently holds 13 seats in the House, while JCC(J) has 3, and the BSP has 2 seats. One seat is currently unoccupied. In the upcoming 2023 elections, the Congress aspires to secure 75 seats, capitalizing on the popularity of Baghel, who holds substantial influence over OBC and rural voters. Additionally, the party aims to benefit from the positive impact of government welfare schemes tailored for farmers, tribals, and the poor.