Chhattisgarh: Ajit Jogi-Mayawati pact to decide fate of Congress, BJP

Bhopal: The Ajit Jogi-Mayawati alliance is billed to hold the key to the formation of next government in Chhattisgarh, even as the high voltage campaign for the crucial and final phase assembly polls in the state came to an end on Sunday evening.

Seventy two assembly constituencies are going to polls in the second and final phase assembly elections in Chhattisgarh on November 20.

“Majority of constituencies which are going to polls in the second and final phase in Chhattisgarh are tipped to witness triangular contests among the ruling BJP, Opposition Congress and the newly formed alliance of Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) of Mr Jogi and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of Mayawati.

“Since the alliance has made debut in this polls, we are clueless as to if it will cut into votes of BJP or Congress, making the poll outcome in these seats unpredictable. The alliance may also end up as a double ended weapon cutting votes of both the parties in these constituencies leading them to cliff hanger situations,” Raipur-based pollster P. Mishra told this newspaper on Sunday.

The first phase assembly elections in Chhattisgrh held on November 12 had witnessed virtually one-to-one contests between BJP and Congress candidates. The alliance has virtually no sway in these constituencies.

Two major communities, Satnamis and Sahus, may play crucial role in deciding fates of candidates in majority of constituencies which are going to polls in the second phase assembly elections.

Mr Jogi was said have influence over a powerful section of Satnmis, a scheduled caste community. The Satnamis influence outcome of polls in at least 30 assembly seats in Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh has earlier predicted the Jogi-Mayawati alliance may impact outcome of polls in at least 30 assembly seats. He has predicted that the alliance would cut votes more of Congress than BJP.

On the other hand, Congress has also claimed that the alliance would hurtBJP more than Congress, since the ruling party held nine out of 10 assembly constituencies reserved for SC in the last assembly polls.

The Chhattisgarh chief minister who has claimed that his party would bag at least 14 out of 18 seats that went polls in the first phase, on Sunday asserted that BJP would win more than 65 out of total 90 seats in the state.