Dantewada Bypoll: Baghel and Raman Singh Accompany Candidates as Nominations Filed

The Congress and BJP candidates for the Dantewada by-election filed their nomination papers on Wednesday. BJP nominee Ojaswi Mandavi arrived at the collectorate with former Chief Minister Raman Singh after a rally held with much fanfare. Congress candidate Devti Karma was accompanied by senior party figures including Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in a comparatively low-key event.

Two candidates, two losses

Both women are widows of senior leaders of their parties who were killed in separate Maoist attacks. Ojaswi’s husband, Bhima Mandavi, was the MLA for Dantewada and was killed by Naxals in April this year. Devti’s husband, the late Congress leader Mahendra Karma, was killed by Maoists in 2013.

Campaign speeches

After Devti filed her papers, Baghel addressed supporters and set out his government’s achievements. He criticised the Narendra Modi government for not sending its lawyer to the Supreme Court during the hearing of the forest land rights case, after which the court ordered tribals to be moved from their homes. Baghel said his government filed an affidavit in the court, after which distribution of pattas (land rights documents) began, and accused the BJP of trying to sell off the Nandraj hills.

The earlier BJP government led by Raman Singh had approved handing the hill to the Adani mining group; after large protests by tribal groups, Baghel cancelled the contract earlier this year.

Raman Singh also addressed a gathering for his party’s candidate, recalling Bhima Mandavi’s contribution and saying his widow would complete his unfinished work. Voting in the constituency, which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes, is due on September 23.

Baghel became Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh after the 2018 assembly election, in which the Congress won 68 seats and the BJP 15.

See also: Constituencies | Indian National Congress

Originally published on 5 September 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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