Lok Sabha Polls: BJP Fields Mahesh Kashyap From Bastar (Image: Facebook/Mahesh Kashyap)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Mahesh Kashyap from the Bastar constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The Bastar region in Chhattisgarh is termed the “epicentre” of Maoist or Left-wing terrorism.

Naxalism, religious conversion, and mining are some of the major issues faced by the Bastar constituency. The BJP has chosen Mahesh Kashyap for this seat, as the BJP leader has been raising the issue of alleged religious conversion in the region. Mahesh Kashyap is considered the face of the saffron party in Bastar against the alleged conversion.

Mahesh Kashyap is currently serving as the District President of the BJP ST Morcha. He was also earlier associated with organisations including the Sarva Adivasi Samaj and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Mahesh Kashyap had reportedly organised several rallies against conversion in Bastar. As per local media reports, he was the district coordinator of Bajrang Dal from 1996 to 2001. From 2014 to 2019, Mahesh was a sarpanch. Notably, a sarpanch is an elected representative who leads a Gram Panchayat.

Bastar Lok Sabha constituency is the sitting seat of Congress. In the previous general elections, Congress candidate Deepak Baij won and became MP from this seat by securing 4,02,527 votes. BJP leader Baidu Ram Kashyap managed to secure only 3,63,545 votes in the 2019 polls. Meanwhile, security arrangements will be strengthened in Maoist-affected locations, including Bastar, ahead of the polls.