Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 19 : Bharatiya Janata Party's Chhattisgarh BJP chief, Karan Singh Deo, said on Friday that earlier governments were formed with slogans, but times have changed now, and in the last few years, new parameters of development have been set.
"There is great enthusiasm among voters. They have trust in the government which is about to come. The time has changed now. Earlier, governments were formed with slogans and people used to be away from development for years. In the last 10 years, new parameters of development have been set," he said.
Congress candidate from Bastar, Kawasi Lakhma, cast his vote at a polling booth today.
The BJP has fielded Mahesh Kashyap from here.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma on the polling day said, "Bastar is voting today in the first phase of Lok Sabha Elections. I appeal to all the voters of the Bastar Parliamentary constituency to cast their votes. The voting percentage should be 100 per cent in Bastar."
The voting on Chhattisgarh's Bastar seat is underway in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
The Bastar constituency, deemed crucial among the state's 11 Lok Sabha seats, is predominantly inhabited by tribal communities and currently represented by incumbent MP Deepak Baij of Congress, who secured victory on the party ticket in 2019.
The BJP has fielded Mahesh Kashyap from Bastar, whereas the Congress nominated its senior tribal leader and former minister, Kawasi Lakhma, to contest the Bastar (ST) seat in Chhattisgarh.
In the 2019 elections, Deepak Baij of the Congress party emerged victorious in Bastar, securing a notable mandate with 402,527 votes and 44.1. per cent of votes.
The BJP, which has a stronghold in Chhattisgarh, won 9 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha, while the Indian National Congress (INC) was limited to only 2 seats.
The rest of the seats in the state will vote on April 26 and May 7.
The counting of votes will be done on June 4.