Raipur: The Dec 8 results of elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will pronounce the people's verdict on the claims of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that it unleashed all-round development during its five-year-tenure.

The mineral rich state went to the polls in two phases Nov 14 and Nov 20. A whopping 70 percent of the total 15 million voters had exercised their franchise.

In the outgoing assembly, the BJP has 52 members and the Congress 34, while Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have one legislator each and two seats are vacant.

Chief Minister Raman Singh has claimed: "The BJP is poised to retain the government with a clear majority."

"The BJP will get absolute majority. We have inputs that the party is set to retain power as people have recognised the welfare measures initiated by our government for all sections of the society," Singh told IANS Saturday.

Party sources said the BJP will hold a meeting of the elected legislators Dec 10 at its state headquarters, Ekatm Parisar, to formally elect Singh as its leader.

Anticipating a victory, the BJP has already decided that the swearing in ceremony will be held Dec 12 at the police parade ground.

Meanwhile, the faction-ridden Congress is also confident of victory with senior leaders claiming that voters came out in large numbers in the party's stronghold, southern Bastar and northern Surguja regions.

They said the brisk polling in these regions reflected the public anger against the government for failing to tackle rising Maoist violence.

"We are sure the Congress will come to power, the declaration of results is just a formality. The party has information that the heavy turnout was against the BJP's corrupt regime," Satyanarayan Sharma, the state's working party president, told IANS.

Counting of votes will start at 8 a.m. at all the 18 district headquarters of the state.

 

Source : IANS