Congress Nominates Former Chhattisgarh Minister Shiv Kumar Dahariya From Janjgir–Champa (Photo on X Dr. Shiv Kumar Dahariya @drshivdahariya)Congress has nominated the former cabinet minister Shiv Kumar Dahariya from Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir–Champa Lok Sabha constituency, one of the grand old party’s strongholds till 2004. A scheduled caste reserved constituency, Mr Dahariya had tried his luck in Lok Sabha foray in the 2009 general election from the constituency. He was defeated by the BJP’s Shrimati Kamla Devi Patle back then, forcing him to return to state politics.
In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress party secured a whopping 68 seats out of 90, forming the government in the state after 15 years. Mr Dahariya was elected to the assembly from the Arang constituency and sworn in as a cabinet minister in the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government. However, during the 2023 assembly election, the BJP won the state back. Shiv Kumar Dahariya had also contested the 2013 assembly election but trailed behind the BJP’s Sanam Jangade.
The reason for the defeat of the Congress’s government was the alleged negligence of the government towards one of the considerable Adivasi electorates of the state as they constituted a traditionally stronger vote bank of the Congress party. The failure to prevent the Hindutva outfits’ attacks against the minority Christian community also led to the grand old party’s defeat, the news portal Scroll reported citing its interviews conducted on the ground.
Interestingly, after assuming power, the BJP minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal alleged that many items including TV and AC were missing from the residence allotted to him. The former Congress minister Dahariya who was residing there refuted the health minister’s claim saying that he vacated the bungalow only after obtaining a non-objection certificate from PWD. Mr Dahariya said that the allegations are an attempt to defame him.
However, though the BJP has been representing the constituency since 2004, the Congress has a strong traditional base in the constituency. It has trusted the former minister to wrest the seat from the BJP. The saffron party has changed its candidate for every election and it has nominated Kamlesh Jangde this time from Janjgir–Champa