Four more names out: Cong fields ex-MLA in Rajnandgaon

The Congress has announced its candidates for four more Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, including high-profile Raipur and Rajnandgaon constituencies.

Bilaspur and Mahasamund are two other seats for which names of the candidates were announced Friday late night, a Congress leader said Saturday, adding the party has so far announced candidates for nine of the total 11 seats.

Chhattisgarh will vote in three phases on April 11, April 18 and April 23.

In 2014 elections, the BJP had won 10 seats and the Congress one.

In the fresh list, the Congress has fielded Raipur Municipal Corporation Mayor Pramod Dubey for prominent Raipur Lok Sabha constituency. Ramesh Bais of the BJP won this seat in 2014.

In Rajnandgaon, currently represented by former chief minister and BJP stalwart Raman Singh's son Abhishek Singh, the Congress has fielded former Khujji MLA Bholaram Sahu.

Raman Singh had represented this high profile seat in 1999.

In Mahasamund seat, the Congress has fielded its senior leader and former state minister Dhanendra Sahu, currently the MLA from Abhanpur constituency.

In Bilaspur seat, the Congress has pinned its hopes on state general secretary Atal Shrivastav.

The Congress had earlier announced candidates for all five reserved category seats, namely Surguja, Bastar, Raigarh and Kanker (all ST seats) and Janjgir-Champa, which is reserved for the SC category.

The Congress is yet to announce nominations for Korba and Durg seats.

The BJP, which suffered a humiliating defeat in 2018 assembly elections, has announced to replace all sitting MPs in the state.