A Chhattisgarh village that 'elects' two legislators

Anjora (Chhattisgarh): A village with a population of mere 5,000 is drawing a lot of attention ahead of the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, with candidates from two constituencies visiting the place to seek votes.

Anjora sits on the border between the Durg and Rajnandgaon districts in such a manner that its one half is a part of the former, while the second belongs to the other.

The village is split into territories of the two districts just by streets. While the houses on one side of the street fall under the Rajnandgaon constituency (Rajnandgaon), those on the other come under the Durg Rural constituency.

The village, located around 10 km from Durg town on the Mumbai-Howrah National Highway-53 between Durg and Rajnandgaon cities, is also governed by two panchayats – Anjora village panchayat (Rajnandgaon) and Anjora ‘kh (B)’ village panchayat (Durg).

The interesting juxtaposition has led to candidates from Durg Rural and Rajnandgaon constituencies making trips to Anjora for canvassing ahead of the elections.

“Sometimes people get confused as candidates from both constituencies visit the village for campaigning. Posters and banners of candidates can be seen in the entire village irrespective of constituencies (among the two) from which they have been contesting. It is said the village elects two MLAs,” quipped Anju Sahu, sarpanch of Anjora panchayat (Rajandgaon side).

Though the village is divided by streets, people here have coexisted peacefully and celebrate festivals and other functions together, said Sahu, also a Congress leader.

Sahu said her paternal home is in Anjora B area which votes for the Durg rural seat, while her in-laws vote for the Rajnandgaon constituency.

Polling to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will be held in two phases this month. While Rajnandgaon is among the 20 seats that will go to polls in the first phase on November 7, the remaining 70 constituencies, including Durg rural, will vote in the second phase on November 17.

Makhanlal Sahu, husband of Anjora B panchayat sarpanch Sangeeta Sahu, said Rajnandgaon district was formed in 1973 after being carved from Durg district (in erstwhile Madhya Pradesh). Since then, the village has been divided into two panchayats.

The delimitation for assembly seats was also done in such a manner that half of the village falls in one constituency and the other half in the other segment, he said.

There are also such families in the village whose half of the members had to vote for Rajnandangaon constituency and the other half for Durg Rural, he said.

Both Rajnandgaon and Durg Rural are prominent constituencies where high-profile candidates like former chief minister Raman Singh and the state’s incumbent home minister Tamradhwaj Sahu are in the fray.

BJP has fielded Raman Singh from his incumbent Rajnandgaon seat, whereas Girish Dewanagn, current chairman of Chhattisgarh State Mineral Development Corporation, is the Congress' nominee.

In Durg rural seat, the Congress has fielded minister Sahu, a prominent OBC leader of the ruling party in the state, while the BJP has fielded a new face, Lalit Chandrakar.