Chhattisgarh elections: Not looking left or right for any support, will form govt on our own, says Congress

Amidst speculation of probable post-poll alliance among political parties, senior Congress leader T S Singh Deo has said there was no need to "look left or right" for any support and his party will form the government in Chhattisgarh on its own.

Amidst speculation of probable post-poll alliance among political parties, senior Congress leader T S Singh Deo has said there was no need to "look left or right" for any support and his party will form the government in Chhattisgarh on its own. PTI Photo

RAIPUR: Amidst speculation of probable post-poll alliance among political parties, senior Congress leader T S Singh Deo has said there was no need to "look left or right" for any support and his party will form the government in Chhattisgarh on its own. His comments assume significance as there have been reports of post-poll alliances among different political parties, even before the results are announced. While Chhattisgarh went to polls in two phases on November 12 for 18 seats and on November 20 for 72 seats, the counting of votes is scheduled for December 11 along with the same for four other states including neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. "I am confident of victory. We are getting a clear majority. There is no need to look left or right (for any support or post-poll alliance)," Singh Deo told PTI. He was asked whether his party would accept support from former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi in case it lacks numbers to form the government. "There has been a misrule in the BJP's tenure. Corruption has gone up in all the government departments. Farmers in particular are in a lot of distress. That is the reason why people came out in large numbers to vote against the BJP government," said Singh Deo, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. The BJP's Raman Singh has been the CM of the state for past 15 years. Voter turnout of 76.35 per cent was recorded in the Chhattisgarh Assembly election, a little less than the 77.4 per cent in the 2013 polls. Talking about the Congress party's poll manifesto, which is also called as the 'Jan Ghoshana Patra', Singh Deo said feedback from the people living in almost all the districts of the state were taken into account as part of the planning process. "It took six long months for our teams to visit whole state and to record feedback in our party's manifesto. We consulted over 80,000 people. We have offered availability of water, electricity subsidy and good price of farmers produce to address farmers distress in the state apparently due to the government's apathy. There are so many 'pro-people' proposals outlined in the manifesto," Singh Deo said. Many Congress leaders have termed the Jan Ghoshana Patra as the game changer. "Farmers and people from rural areas came out in large numbers to vote against the BJP government in the state. It will bring result," another senior Congress leader said. When asked who would be their CM candidate in case the Congress comes to power in Chhattisgarh, he said winnig MLAs will choose their leader and the chief minister would be decided by the party high command in Delhi. Earlier, talking to PTI, Singh Deo had said the chief minister's face of the Congress will be elected through "Swayamvar" after the poll results are announced. "There are many good people in the party who have done very good work. So there will be a 'Swayamvar' after the poll victory," he had said.