Big guns' sons find going tough in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, Nov 4 (IANS) Sons of three veteran leaders, including late Shyama Charan Shukla of Congress, three-time chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, are finding the going tough in the Chhattisgarh polls because of protests within the party and lack of rapport with the people.

Arun Vora, son of Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, who lost convincingly to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Hemchand Yadav in the 2003 polls from Durg, is facing protests this time too from Durg urban city, a new segment created following fresh delimitation.

The state's ruling BJP has once again pitted Yadav, a cabinet minister in the 13-member BJP Government, against Vora. The latter has been accused of managing the Congress ticket because of his father's clout despite a strong demand by local partymen not to field him.

The Congress has fielded Amitesh Shukla, son of late Shyama Charan Shukla from Rajim seat in Raipur district, to take on BJP nominee Santosh Upadhyay despite Shukla losing to BJP's Chandulal Sahu in Nov 2003 by over 11,000 votes.

'There was a huge protest on both the seats by the party workers and locals much before the process to pick up candidates began. A strong section of Durg voters and dominant Sahu community of Rajim were confident the defeated candidates would not be fielded but they managed tickets through contacts in Delhi,' party insiders told IANS Tuesday.

Arun Vora told IANS on phone: 'Durg voters love my family, they will not repeat the mistake they did in the last election.'

Shukla too is confident of pulling off a victory. He said: 'Rajim is my family's home seat. My father had represented the seat in undivided Madhya Pradesh assembly several times. I will surely win in this election.'

Chhattisgarh was a part of MP before it was carved out as another state in 2000.

Even in BJP, Yudhvir Singh, who has been made a party nominee from Nationalist Congress Party-held Chandrapur seat in Janjgir district to launch his political career, is facing a serious revolt by his party workers.

The protest went to such an extent late last week that locals described him as an 'outsider' and refused to campaign for him. Upset by protests and non-cooperation, Singh assaulted a senior party worker Dr. Vishwal who fractured his leg.

Durg city goes to polls Nov 14 along with 39 seats while Rajim and Chandrapur will see elections Nov 20 along with 51 seats. Chhattisgarh has 90 seats and 6,797,600 voters.