Chhattisgarh: Congress likely to drop some of its sitting legislators

Korba: The main opposition Congress may deny tickets to some of the sitting legislators in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. State Congress president and Union Minister of State Charandas Mahant told reporters here last evening that the MLAs who were either unpopular or were too old may not get party ticket.  Mahant also ruled out his candidature for Chief Minister\’s post if Congress came to power. “My duty is to bring the party back in the rule,” he said. Mahant targeted the state Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar and said that nobody listened to him even in his home district (Korba), and crime rate in the region was increasing. He also attacked Chief Minister Raman Singh, who, he alleged, made veteran BJP leader L K Advani state a lie that electricity had reached every village of the state during a recent function to dedicate the 500 MW power plant of Hasdeo extension project to the state. Mahant said some 80 villages in Korba alone had no power. “If the CM claims that it is a zero power cut state, then why he is distributing lamps to the people?” asked Mahant. He also alleged corruption in the construction of Korba extension power project and said he will approach the Governor in this regard. Asked about the possible influence of BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi after his recent visit to the state, the Congress leader said it would not affect the elections in Chhattisgarh. PTI