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Saroj Pandey, a former Rajya Sabha member and BJP candidate, is running against the incumbent Congress MP Jyotsana Mahant in the Lok Sabha constituency of Korba, Chhattisgarh.
Saroj Pandey
Image source: The Economic Times
Saroj Pandey is an Indian politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She has held various important positions within the party, including serving as a member of the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of the Indian Parliament. She’s also been the National General Secretary of the BJP and currently holds the position of National Vice President. Before her time in the Rajya Sabha, she represented Durg in the 15th Lok Sabha and was also a member of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly.
Jyotsana Charandas Mahant
Image source: Amar Ujala
Jyotsna Charandas Mahant, an Indian politician affiliated with the Indian National Congress (INC), has a notable political career. She won the 2019 Indian general election and currently represents the Korba Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh. Her victory in 2019 was remarkable, securing the seat by a margin of 26,349 votes, surpassing her rival from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jyoti Nand Dubey.
Battle of Women Leaders: Contesting for Chhattisgarh’s Korba Seat in Lok Sabha Polls
Image Source : ETV Bharat
In Chhattisgarh’s Korba Lok Sabha constituency, there’s an important election happening with two top women leaders running for office. Saroj Pandey, from the BJP, is running against Jyotsana Mahant, the current MP from the Congress party. Jyotsana is also married to Charandas Mahant, who used to represent Korba in the past.
This constituency was formed in 2009, and Charandas won the first election here. However, in 2014, Jyotsana lost to the BJP candidate by a small margin. But in 2019, she won the seat back for the Congress.
Korba has eight smaller areas within it, called assembly constituencies. In the recent 2023 elections, all these areas except one were won by the BJP. Korba is known for its coal-based industries, making it a significant industrial hub in the state.
The election is getting attention because of the different strategies of the two main parties. While the Congress is trying to portray it as a fight between local and outside candidates, the BJP is relying on an independent candidate, Tuleshwar Hira Singh Markam, to win votes.
Amit Shah Steps In to Resolve Discontent Ahead of Lok Sabha Election
Image source: Mint
There’s also some internal disagreement within the BJP. Local leaders are not happy with Saroj Pandey because they think she’s relying too much on workers from a different area, Durg, where she comes from. To address this, Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently met with party leaders and held a public meeting to try to resolve these issues.
On the other hand, the Congress is facing challenges because some people are not happy with Jyotsana Mahant. They feel she hasn’t been accessible and hasn’t visited the areas she represents enough. But recently, her husband Charandas Mahant has taken a more active role in the campaign, which has started to change people’s opinions.
Both parties agree that the election will be close. Tribals, who are a significant part of the population, will play a crucial role. While the BJP seems to have an advantage due to its national narrative, Charandas Mahant’s experience in managing elections could help the Congress.
However, there are important issues that both parties haven’t addressed. For example, there’s a serious problem with man-elephant conflicts, which is causing deaths. Also, Korba is one of the most polluted cities in Chhattisgarh, but no one seems to be paying attention to this. Unemployment and deforestation in the Hasdeo region are also major concerns for the locals, but these issues haven’t been raised by any party yet.
