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Chhattisgarh election 2023: Anti-incumbency sword scalps only the less affluent in Congress, BJP

Of the 18 sitting MLAs who have been dropped, most come from the SC/ST communities and have held no position of power, and have not been involved in any scam.

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Bhupesh Baghel

By Neeraj Mishra

The main parties in Chhattisgarh, the BJP and the Congress, have announced their list of candidates in batches for the 2023 Assembly elections. There is nothing surprising in either list, in fact, there is a lot in common.

The 2023 elections will witness almost a similar match up as in 2018. The Congress has repeated more than 50 of its 70 MLAs while the BJP has repeated 11 of its 13 and given tickets to another 15 who had lost five years ago.

So the BJP is taking the field with 49 old faces while the Congress is seeking to return to power with 55 in an Assembly of 90 MLAs. What is, however, common to both sides is those repeated are all ministers, ex-ministers and generally the affluent lot. Those with less money in their bank accounts and fewer properties have been ignored. It’s a battle of the corrupt and the corruptible.

It was expected that Congress will not repeat at least 20 of its 70 sitting MLAs as a political stratagem to combat the anti-incumbency factor. It has done so but in a brilliant brainwave, its leadership is convinced that only the poorer of its MLAs have an anti-incumbency factor working against them! So it has repeated all its 13 ministers, the Speaker and even those MLAs who are under Enforcement Directorate scanner for corruption. Some of the ministers like Shiv Deharia, Jaisingh Agarwal and Ravindra Choubey are unpopular in their constituencies over allegations of having reaped riches in office.

Those who have been left out to dry include one former minister Premsai Singh and three others whose candidature was not acceptable to Deputy CM TS Singhdeo. Of these, Brihaspati Singh, an ST MLA, had levelled serious charges of  attempt to murder against Singhdeo. Of the 18 sitting MLAs who have been dropped, most come from the SC/ST communities and have held no position of power, and have not been involved in any scam. Only one MLA facing the ED heat Chandra Dev Rai has been denied the Congress ticket. The clear message is that affluent politicians can either buy their way through or cannot be denied because they have built a strong network of other gratified fellows.

Strangely enough, this syndrome affects the BJP more than the Congress. Brijmohan Agarwal, who is contesting his 10th election from the same seat in Raipur, had been extremely unpopular within the BJP for his proximity to Baghel. He had been currying favours with Baghel and has remained ensconced in his old ministerial bungalow for the past five years much to the chagrin of the BJP state leadership. But Agarwal comes from an affluent background and cannot be denied.

So does another BJP moneybag from Bilaspur, former excise minister Amar Agarwal, who lost in 2018. He is the son of former BJP heavyweight late Lakhiram Agarwal and runs a vast empire of gutka and gudakhu. So does Rajesh Mudat who has been repeated despite his defeat in 2018 from Raipur. He comes from the affluent Jain community and is capable of spending for at least two constituencies. 

While the BJP has attempted to dust off allegations of nepotism and parivarwad by denying tickets to progeny, the Congress has not held back. Amitesh Shukla, the son of former chief minister Shyama Charan Shukla, will be contesting his sixth straight election from Rajim and Arun Vora, the son of another former CM Motilal Vora will be contesting his fourth. Pankaj Sharma, the son of former minister Satyanarain Sharma, has been given the ticket but only after his father decided to step aside for him.

Another interesting aside is that more than 125 of the 180 candidates from both parties reside in Raipur and only travel to their constituency during elections. So much for people’s representation.

India News

Abhishek Banerjee says will not bow to BJP after nearly 11 hours of ED questioning

After spending nearly 11 hours before the Enforcement Directorate, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said he would not bow to the BJP and accused the ruling party of using investigative agencies for political purposes.

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Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said he would not bow to the BJP after spending nearly 11 hours being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Speaking after the questioning, Banerjee alleged that central agencies were being used to target opposition leaders and asserted that he would continue his political fight despite what he described as sustained pressure.

The TMC leader has repeatedly maintained that investigations involving him are politically motivated, a charge he has made on several previous occasions while appearing before central agencies.

His appearance before the ED comes amid a period of heightened political activity and multiple investigations involving leaders in West Bengal. Recent days have also seen Banerjee face summons and questioning in separate matters by state investigative agencies.

After leaving the ED office, Banerjee reiterated that he would not be intimidated and said he remained committed to his political responsibilities. He also accused the BJP of attempting to weaken opposition parties through investigative action, an allegation that the BJP has rejected in the past.

The Enforcement Directorate has not publicly commented on Banerjee’s remarks. The investigation related to the questioning remains ongoing.

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India News

DMK attacks Rahul Gandhi, accuses him of weakening opposition unity

DMK has intensified its criticism of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader’s actions have weakened opposition unity and strained relations within the INDIA bloc.

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Rahul-Gandhi

The war of words between the DMK and Congress has intensified, with the DMK launching a strong attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and accusing him of contributing to divisions within the opposition alliance. The criticism comes amid strained ties between the two parties following their political split in Tamil Nadu.

According to the DMK, Rahul Gandhi’s political approach has weakened unity among opposition parties. The party’s IT wing mocked the Congress leader on social media, while an editorial published in the DMK’s official mouthpiece Murasoli questioned his recent remarks on opposition solidarity.

DMK questions Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on opposition unity

In its editorial, Murasoli argued that Rahul Gandhi was speaking about opposition unity despite, according to the DMK, contributing to disagreements among alliance partners in several states. The publication cited criticism directed at Congress by various opposition parties and suggested that the party’s actions had often created tensions within the INDIA bloc.

The editorial also referred to past political disputes involving Congress and Left parties, particularly in Kerala, claiming such episodes had raised concerns among opposition allies about Congress’s approach toward its partners.

Tamil Nadu political fallout adds to tensions

The attack comes after a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu. Following the 2026 Assembly elections, Congress ended its alliance with the DMK and joined the government led by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The move left the DMK in the opposition and significantly altered the political equation between the two former allies.

The DMK has alleged that Congress benefited from the alliance during the election and later abandoned its partner. The party’s editorial questioned whether assurances from Congress leadership would be trusted by alliance partners after the developments in Tamil Nadu.

Congress rejects allegations

Congress has not issued a detailed official response to the editorial, but party sources have rejected the allegations. According to the party, its decisions in Tamil Nadu were made in line with the mandate delivered by voters and were not intended to undermine either the DMK or the broader opposition alliance.

The latest exchange highlights growing strains between two key opposition parties even as leaders continue to stress cooperation on national issues. Just days earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that the DMK remained aligned with the opposition on defending the “idea of India” despite political differences.

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Entertainment

Kumkum Bhagya actor Sanchita Ugale dies by suicide near Mumbai at 22

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, died by suicide at her residence near Mumbai. Police have launched an investigation.

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Sanchita Ugale

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for her appearances in Kumkum Bhagya, Wagle Ki Duniya and Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi, died by suicide at her residence in Nalasopara East near Mumbai on June 14. She was 22.

According to police officials, the incident took place at her home in Achole village, Nalasopara East. Authorities said Ugale had locked herself inside her bedroom and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Family members and local residents rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials said inquiries are underway and the exact reason behind the incident has not yet been established.

Career across television, OTT and films

Ugale had built a growing presence in the entertainment industry through television, streaming projects and films. Apart from Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, she played a lead role in Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi. She also appeared in OTT projects such as Crime Aaj Kal and Silence 2.

The actor was also associated with the film Chhaava, which contributed to her growing recognition among audiences.

Last social media post draws attention

Following news of her death, social media users shared and commented on Ugale’s final Instagram post, which had been uploaded hours before the incident. The post showed the actor in traditional attire lip-syncing to a classic Bollywood song. Fans expressed shock and grief after learning of her death.

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