Where are the sex CDs?
Political observers in Chhattisgarh are surprised that not a single sex or corruption compact disc has surfaced this time around in a state where elections are considered a trigger for such stings. Remember 2004 when two prominent leaders of the BJP and the Congress – late Dilip Singh Judev and former Congress chief minister Ajit Jogi – bore the brunt of being careless about the camcorders.

Judev, then an MP, had to resign after a VCD, allegedly filmed at the direction of Jogi’s son Amit who is now contesting from Kota assembly constituency, showed him thumbing through stapled currency notes.

Jogi was thrown out of the Congress after then BJP vice president of Chhattisgarh Virender Pandey stung him saying he would install BJP tribal leader Baliram Kashyap in CM’s chair if the latter could engineer defection in the saffron ranks. In 2003, there was also speculation about how a tribal BJP MP was caught in bed with a minor girl in a government guest house allegedly by hired stingers. Only three days are left for the remaining 72 constituencies of the state to record their voters’ preferences. But there are no CDs this time around. Or is it that the records of spy cameras, hidden mikes are being kept for a blast during the power play?

Last-minute blitzkrieg
With only 72 hours left before the curtains come down on election campaign, political parties have unleashed their star power in the state.

Their top leaders and glam brigades are out to woo the voters. While the BJP has fanned out its entire galaxy of leaders and actors including Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh, Venkiah Naidu, Raman Singh, Hema Malini and Manoj Tiwari etc and plan to hold over 150 meetings before the campaign draws to a close on November 17, the Congress has put Sonia Gandhi, Digvijay Singh, Raj Babbar, Charan Das Mahant, Mohsina Kidwai and Sachin Pilot into the top gear.

District and block BJP units are also demanding Vinod Khanna and Navjot Singh Sidhu to turn the tide into saffron in the penultimate over.

Modi will be addressing a number of meetings across the state from November 14 onwards. His first rally will be in Durg city where sitting BJP MLA Chander Prakash Pandey faces a serious challenge from Moti Lal Vora’s son Arun Vora followed by another in Bemetra district on November 15.

BJP leaders feel that actors fetch good crowds and help in converting the atmosphere in party’s favour. Rajya Sabha MP Hema Malini addressed several meetings in Durg and Balod districts on November 13. The actress drew a large crowd in Bhilai Nagar. She rejected the claim that cine actors do not influence voters. She said she would turn at least 50 per cent of her rally’s attendance into votes for the BJP. Hema Malini castigated the Congress leadership on corruption, inflation and terrorism and declared that Indians want to see Narendra Modi into the prime minister’s chair.

Earlier Sonia Gandhi drew good crowds in Bhilai on November 11.

EC representatives wield stick
For a change, the babudom appointed by Election Commission of India to ensure free and fair elections in Chhattisgarh, are showing some teeth.

Election observers and watchdogs, supposed to keep track of funds spent by candidates in their area, are not just tailing meetings, rallies and road shows but are also putting candidates (including those from the ruling party) who do not file their returns properly under notices.

EC watchdog in Balod district Piyush Bhati, for instance, has issued notice to around half a dozen candidates including BJP’s nominee from Dondilohara seat, Hori Lal Rawte seeking their replies within 48 hours. In case the candidates do not correct their returns in the stipulated time, Bhati may file an FIR against them under section 171 of the Indian Penal Code and revoke permission granted for their rallies and campaign vehicles.

The non-partisan and fearless attitude of the state police was on display again in Dondilohara block on Wednesday when the cops seized a BJP vehicle packed with liquor bottles.

Give them a pat
Election Commission of India, different organs of Chhattisgarh government, police and paramilitary personnel and on top of all voters in Bastar region deserve a pat on their back for breaking all old records of polling in the area.

According to the state commission officials, the state achieved 74 per cent polling in the first phase of election which happened on November 11. Total 18 assembly constituencies of Bastar and Rajnandgaon went to polls in the first phase.

This is eight per cent more than 2008 when the last state polls took place. Besides the election commission, various departments of Chhattisgarh government like forest and health etc and municipalities ran campaigns to make their voters aware about the significance of use of franchise. The election commission also made use of street theatre to persuade the voters.

The state police and paramilitary forces which were deployed in the far off constituencies not only campaigned against the unfair and criminal nature of naxalite groups but even walked through jungles and rivers to protect the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

In Kondagaon, the personnel crossed Bhanwardeeh River to take the EVMs to a safe place after the polling got over.

Young forever
It is no secret that assembly and parliament election candidates tell half truths and hide information in their affidavits to the election commission. But they also hide their real age.

A comparison of affidavits filed by 11 candidates in 2008 and 2013 in Chhattisgarh show that while four of them aged by one, three and four years in the five year period, the rest grew more than the term of the state assembly.

Believe it or not, Congress candidate from Korba Jai Singh Agarwal has grown from 49 (2008) to 50 (2013). Agarwal claims his real age is 50 and he made a mistake in 2008. BJP candidate from Prem Nagar assembly seat Renuka Singh and Congress candidate from Sihawa Ambika Markam grew by 3 years between 2008 and 2013.

Komal Janghel, BJP candidate from Khairagarh and Pratima Chandrakar from Durg rural seat, on the other hand, grew by 8 years in the same period. Now do not say only women like to be forever young.