Korba Lok Sabha: Battle for supremacy between Didi- Bhabhi

Raveesh Benjamin

Korba : Korba in Chhattisgarh has become a high profile Lok Sabha seat. Everyone’s eyes are on it because there is pressure on the Congress to repeat its performance here and on the BJP to save its credibility. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Jyotsna Mahant won the election from Congress and became an MP. Currently, she is contesting again on this seat on a Congress ticket, while Saroj Pandey is in the fray from the BJP. Saroj Pandey is also the National Vice President of BJP. In such a situation, BJP is worried about saving its credibility here.

Korba is a lost seat, so competition is also being seen between the top leaders of BJP-Congress here. Saroj Pandey is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the third time from the BJP. Before this, Saroj Pandey has been the Mayor, MLA and MP of Durg Municipal Corporation. While Saroj Pandey is respectfully called ‘didi’ in BJP, Jyotsna Mahant is addressed as ‘bhabhi’ by some Congress workers as she is the wife of senior Congress leader and leader of opposition Dr. Charandas Mahant.

State BJP co-media in-charge Anurag Agarwal said that Congress leader and current leader of opposition in Korba Lok Sabha constituency Dr. Charandas Mahant says that we need a person who can break Modi’s head. He does not talk about development. The people of Korba know that the top leadership of BJP has full faith in Saroj Didi that she will raise the voice of Korba in the country. That is why the people will vote for Saroj Didi and she is going to win with a huge margin.
At the same time, Congressmen say that Jyotsna Mahant and the Mahant family have familial relations with the people of Korba Lok Sabha constituency. Supporters, workers and people in her area respectfully call her ‘Bhabhi’. This family always participates in the happiness and sorrow of the people of Korba and gives respect to the entire region like a family. They get a lot of love from the people of Korba. This time also the people of Korba have faith in Jyotsna Mahant. She is going to win the election with more votes than last time.

The seat came into existence after delimitation in 2009

Korba Lok Sabha seat came into existence after the delimitation of 2009. Congress has won twice in the three elections held so far on this seat. In 2009, Dr. Charandas Mahant of Congress, Dr. Banshilal Mahto of BJP in 2014 and in the 2019 election, Jyotsna Mahant of Congress, who is still an MP, won the election. If we look at the data of assembly seats, BJP has six seats, Gondwana-Congress has one seat each.

A total of eight assembly constituencies (general- four, ST- four) come under this Lok Sabha constituency. Among these, BJP has MLAs in Bharatpur-Sonhat, Manendragarh, Baikunthpur, Korba, Katghora, Marwahi. While Congress has MLAs in Rampur and Gondwana Ganatantra Party has MLAs in Pali-Tanakhar.