Chg polls: Rahul to address farmers' rally in Raipur on Oct 22

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will Monday kick off his party's campaign for Chhattisgarh assembly elections by addressing a rally of farmers here.

Farmers are being seen as a major vote bank in the state by the ruling BJP and opposition Congress--the twp dominant players in the state politics.

"The AICC Chief will arrive at the Swami Vivekanand airport at around 2.10 pm Monday. He is scheduled to address a rally of farmers from the Science College ground at around 3 PM," said state Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla Sunday.

Gandhi would hold meetings with senior party leaders during his brief visit. He will also meet delegations of people representing various sections of the society before leaving for Delhi in evening, said Shukla.

This will be Gandhi's first visit to the state after the poll code came into effect on October 6.

Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in two phases on November 12 and November 20. Counting of votes will be taken up on December 11.

In Chhattisgarh, around 70 per cent of the total population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities.

The ruling BJP and opposition Congress always try to win over this significant vote bank, knowing well that they can tilt the poll scales.

The Congress has been out of power in Chhattisgarh for the last 15 years.

The pre-poll tie-up among an outfit floated by former chief minister Ajit Jogi, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) has added a third dimension to the state politics which is dominated by the BJP and the Congress.

The first phase of polling covers 18 seats spread across eight naxal-affected districts namely Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Sukma, Kondagaon, Kanker, Narayanpur and Rajnandgaon. The remaining 72 constituencies will go to polls on November 20.

The Congress has so far announced 12 candidates for all the 12 seats of Bastar division, but is yet to announce the names of candidates for six more seats that fall in Rajanandgaon district.