Raipur, Oct 29 (IANS): To defeat the opposition BJP in the Chhattisgarh assembly elections, the Congress is continuously trying to woo the backward class voters as it has not only made claims on a caste census, but has also fielded several candidates from the backward classes.

Voting for the Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh is going to be held in two phases -- the first phase on November 7 and the second on November 17.

There will be a direct contest between the two parties on 90 seats in the state and the Congress, being the ruling party, is trying to return to power by overcoming anti-incumbency.

Betting big on the backward classes, the Congress has fielded 29 candidates from 90 seats from the OBC category, which is more than 33 per cent.

The state has a large number of people belonging to the backward classes -- Sahu, Kurmi, Yadav, Kalar and Rajwar castes -- and keeping this in mind, the Congress has named candidates belonging to these classes.

The Congress has been advocating reservations on the basis of caste for a long time.

It has been claimed that 52 per cent of the population in Chhattisgarh is OBC. However, this figure stood at 43 per cent as per the report of the Quantifiable Data Commission constituted by the Chhattisgarh government in 2019 to survey people belonging to Other Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections in the state.

The Congress has taken several steps with regard to OBCs, where not only has it made Bhupesh Baghel, who belongs to this class, the Chief Minister, but it has also talked about conducting a caste census if it returns to power in the state.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel says, “the BJP is against reservation. There was a court order that asked on what basis 27 per cent reservation is being given to the backward classes, we had conducted the headcount of only the backward classes and EWS in which it was found that OBC was 43.5 per cent. Doesn't BJP believe that OBCs in Chhattisgarh are more than 43 per cent? If not then clarify this.”

On the other hand, the BJP is accusing the Congress of appeasement politics and is also terming the recent murder of Bhuneshwar Sahu in Raipur as a part of this politics.

Political analysts believe that “The backward classes are going to play a big role in the state assembly elections and that is why both the Congress and the BJP are trying to woo them. The Congress is in power in the state and it is getting a better opportunity to fulfill its promises and that is why Congress leaders are busy giving the account of their achievements in the last five years and are highlighting the steps taken for OBCs.”