Korba Lok Sabha Seat: Contest between ‘Didi’ and ‘Bhabhi’ is hottest topic in political corridors

Raveesh Benjamin

Raipur. Saroj Pandey from BJP and Jyotsna Mahant from Congress have been fielded from Korba Lok Sabha seat of Chhattisgarh. The election of Korba Lok Sabha constituency is likely to be very interesting. With veterans contesting the elections, Korba Lok Sabha constituency has become a high profile seat.

Both have strong political background

Jyotsna Mahant, wife of Dr. Charan Das Mahant, Leader of Opposition in Chhattisgarh Assembly, is currently an MP from Korba. Her husband Dr. Charan Das Mahant has also been an MP from Korba. Mahant has also been the Assembly Speaker in the previous Congress government. He has also been a minister in undivided Madhya Pradesh and has also been Union Minister of State twice in the Congress-led UPA government. From political point of view, Jyotsna Mahant’s stature cannot be considered weak in any way. But in comparison to Saroj Pandey, she has not been able to create the same identity as an eloquent politician and leader as Saroj Pandey has.

//Challenges increased for Jyotsna Mahant

In the Korba Lok Sabha constituency with eight assembly constituencies, Marwahi, Pali Tanakhar, Bharatpur Sonhat Mahendragarh, Baikunthpur, Rampur, Korba and Katghora assembly constituencies are considered to be the stronghold of the Mahant family. But the truth is that the promises of development made by Dr. Charan Das Mahant when he was the Union Minister and Jyotsna Mahant when she was the MP, have allegedly not been fulfilled yet. Be it an agricultural science center or a horticulture college. As an MP, Mahant has also been accused of inactivity. Apart from all this, the expectations of the common Congress workers from their MP did not seem to be fulfilled. In this context, MP Jyotsna Mahant will have to face a lot of political problems in this Lok Sabha elections. Her problems are likely to increase even more when she has veteran leader Saroj Pandey as the opponent.

It may be mentioned that MP Jyotsna Mahant from Korba Lok Sabha Parliamentary Seat, which has eight assembly constituencies, is once again contesting as the Congress candidate for the 18th Lok Sabha. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had already declared veteran BJP woman leader Saroj Pandey as its candidate from Korba Lok Sabha constituency. Saroj Pandey has previously been an MP from Durg Lok Sabha seat. Before this, she was the national president of Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha. She has also been an MLA from Vaishali Nagar Assembly seat of Durg district in the year 2008. Currently, she is a Rajya Sabha MP from Chhattisgarh and is also the National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In such a situation, it is believed that the contest will be interesting with Saroj Pandey from BJP and Jyotsna Mahant from Congress in the fray.

///There are BJP MLAs in 6 out of 8 assemblies.

It is noteworthy that out of eight assembly constituencies of Korba Lok Sabha, BJP has 6 MLAs. Therefore, it is believed that BJP’s position is still strong in Korba Lok Sabha constituency. Especially with the presence of a national leader like Saroj Pandey in the election fray, Korba Lok Sabha seat has become high profile. Therefore, everyone’s eyes are going to be on this high profile seat.

/// Saroj as Didi and Jyotsna as Bhabhi is the talk of the town.

It is noteworthy that BJP candidate from Korba, Saroj Pandey is addressed by political workers and common people as Didi. On the other hand, MP Jyotsna Mahant is popular as Bhabi (sister-in-law) among political workers in her Lok Sabha constituency. In such a situation, how will be the contest between Didi and Bhabi in the election season? Everyone will have an eye on this.