Chhattisgarh polls: Congress, BJP field star campaigners

Raipur: The likes of Narendra Modi and Sonia Gandhi will address rallies across Chhattisgarh, which goes into the Assembly elections next week, to woo voters, sources said today. While BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will address rallies across the state in the party’s last-minute campaign, Congress have its chief Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi on its list, they said.[caption id=“attachment_1212349” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Congress president Sonia Gandhi. AFP[/caption] Both Modi and Sonia will address public meetings at the Bastar region on Thursday, where polls are on 11 November. The Gujarat chief minister is also scheduled to address two rallies in the Maoist-hit region of Jagdalpur and Kanker and later another one in Rajnandgaon on the same day, BJP’s media in-charge in the state Rasik Parmar said today. It was learnt, that the party has also drawn a schedule for senior leaders like LK Advani and Rajnath Singh. Singh is slated to speak in Chitrakoot, Banpuri and Keshkal on 7 November, ahead of the first phase of polling, whereas the former Deputy Prime Minister will be addressing people in Kasdol, Bilaspur and Bhatapara on 9 November for the second phase, Parmar said. Meanwhile, Sonia will also address rallies in Durg and Ambikapur on 12 November ahead of the second phase of the elections, state Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi told reporters. Trivedi also confirmed the visit of Rahul on 8 November in Rajnandgaon and Kanker (north Bastar) and in Surajpur and Bilaspur on 16 November. Eighteen Constituencies spread over eight districts in south Chhattisgarh will witness voting on 11 November while the remaining 72 segments will go into polls on 19 November. As many as 985 candidates are in the fray for 90 seats. PTI