Behind the Congress?s remarkable turnaround in Maoist-hit areas this year lies an electoral promise that now stands aborted. For the first time in Chhattisgarh?s electoral history, a political party mentioned the word ?Naxal? in its manifesto this year. The Congress promised that the ?restoration of trust of the tribals? and ?security operations when necessary? would form the party?s programme to resolve the Naxal issue. It promised to rehabilitate all tribals displaced in the violence.
Coming after the Darbha attack that wiped out its top leaders in Chhattisgarh, the emphasis on humanitarian solution to the crisis was significant for both what it promised and where it emerged from. But now since the Congress has won Bastar but lost Chhattisgarh, the text will forever be buried. The subtext and questions about its sources though would linger on. The Maoists were clearly watching this election, after all.
Notwithstanding its third straight victory in Chhattisgarh, the BJP has lost its biggest base of tribal Bastar that solely accounted for its victory in the last two polls. Seven districts of Bastar and adjoining Rajnandgaon, which account for eight of the 26 most severely Maoist-hit districts in the country, have 18 assembly seats. Of these 15 were with the BJP in 2008, this year BJP got just 6 as Congress ended with 12 seats.
The Bastar result is significant, not just for Chhattisgarh, but the entire country. The Bastar resident, apparently without any initiation in politics, first gave the country its biggest electoral turnout ever in tribal areas, over 70 per cent; 5 seats crossed 80 per cent. She then extensively pressed the NOTA option, including 5,000 votes in Dantewada alone.
Now, as he takes his third consecutive oath, Chief Minister Raman Singh will be pinched by this rejection, especially because he had projected himself to be the biggest guardian of tribals by dishing out an improbable list of freebies. During a campaign in Jagdalpur, party?s PM candidate Narendra Modi had repeatedly pointed how Singh had remedied the historical poverty of tribals caused by Congress.
Credit for this result goes to slain PCC chief Nand K Patel, who had made the first political efforts to reclaim Bastar and win over tribals nearly 18 months ago and resurrected the Congress in the forested zone. He ensured his men visited their constituencies, avoided parachuted rallies and took to roads. In July 2012, he led his MLAs to Sarkeguda, where 17 tribals were killed in an encounter with forces.
There could be an underlying script too. The BJP won the last two polls amid allegations of a bond with the Maoists. That probably accounted for the corresponding surge in the Red insurgency and electoral victories of the saffron camp. This year the buzz went in Bastar that tribals would vote for the Congress. In fact, some youths in an Abujhmaad village told The Indian Express: ?Pura Abujhmaad Congress ko vote daal raha hai.?
This loss questions the Singh government?s claim that it has improved lives of tribals by giving cheap ration and distributing freebies like sandals and sarees. The BJP?s victory confirms it gained in urban areas, wresting them from the Congress ? the zone where the government?s Re 1/kg rice wasn?t really required and, was hardly an issue.
BJP?s loss in Dandakaranya confirms that the violence-hit zone seeks change. In Rajnandgaon, that also has Raman Singh?s seat, BJP lost four of the six seats. A defeat, which should concern the chief minister.