Congress will indulge in vote bank politics if it returns to power in Chhattisgarh: Amit Shah

Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 16 (ANI): Union Minister Amit Shah alleged that the Bhupesh Baghel government will continue to indulge in appeasement and vote bank politics if it returns to power in Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh will go to polls in two phases- November 7 and November 17.

The first phase of polling for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 7, and the remaining 70 seats in Chhattisgarh will go to polls on November 17.

Addressing a rally in Rajnandgaon, Amit Shah said, "If Congress comes to power again in Chhattisgarh, it will continue appeasement and vote bank politics."

Asking Bhupesh Baghel what has he done in these five years, Shah said that the Baghel government had promised so many things but he failed to deliver and the people of the state is unhappy.

"Bhupesh Baghel government had promised so many things... they had promised free gas cylinders...they were about to ban liquor in the whole state, what happened? They had promised to cut the electricity bill to half, what happened? Under Bhupesh Baghel's government neither OBC, Adivasi, women, farmers, no one is happy...only the Gandhi family is happy," he added.

He further said that this upcoming Assembly election is not to elect a government or a leader, but it is an election to build a golden Chhattisgarh under the leadership of PM Modi.

"Under Congress rule, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh used to be 'Bimaru' states. Atal Bihari Vajpayee created Chhattisgarh and when our government was formed, Dr Raman Singh became CM and within 15 years, he made this state advanced," he said.

Shah said various "scams" have taken place during the Congress rule in Chhattisgarh and accused CM Baghel of turning the state into the "ATM' of Delhi darbar".

Ahead of the state assembly elections, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh filed his nomination papers from Rajnandgaon constituency.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended Raman Singh's nomination filing.

Apart from Raman Singh, Bharat Lal Verma, Vinod Khandekar and Geeta Ghasi Sahu also filed their nominations from the Dongargaon, Dongargarh and Khujji assembly constituencies respectively.

Earlier in the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress witnessed a landslide victory winning 68 seats out of 90 of those against the then ruling-BJP, which acquired 15 seats.

The BJP aims to wrest power from the Congress-ruled state which is expected to set the tone for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls. (ANI)