BHILAI, Mar 20 The issue of outsider versus local is gradually picking up for this Lok Sabha elections in Durg constituency.

The same issue is also finding space in Raipur as well with the local Raipurians opposing the candidature of Bhupesh Baghel. Tarachand Sahu, former BJP Member of Parliament has raked up this issue in the assembly elections to defeat his archrival Prem Prakash Pandey. Taking up the issue had cost him dearly. He was expelled from the BJP and today Tarachand is finding himself untouchable for the two prominent political constituents, BJP and the Congress. After the expulsion from the BJP, Tarachand was invited by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to join it but he was not inclined in joining the BSP. Some senior Congress leaders were also reportedly in touch with Tarachand Sahu and were planning to bring him to Congress fold so that they can win back the Congress citadel, Durg. Tarachand had been representing Durg four times in a row in Lok sabha. Even after the announcement of tickets by the Congress there was talk of Congress dropping its candidate from Durg to accommodate Tarachand Sahu. But nothing of that sort happened presumably due to failure on the part of Tarachand to accept the terms of the Congress leaders, who were a more seasoned lot in negotiation. According to sources though the issue of outsider and local have turned on the steam but how far this will fetch votes for Tarachand is yet to be determined. A good chunk of local votes in the villages, Tarachand is capable to turn in his favour, but how the educated locals in the urban area will behave is unsure. There could be a division in the votes of both Congress and the BJP in the district as Tarachand is capable of inflicting damage to both the candidates. But the question remains will he be able to poll more votes than both these candidates. During the Assembly polls when Tarachand raked up the issue of Chhattisgarhi Swabhimaan people believed that there would be a polarization of votes. But the defeat of the BJP candidate in Bhilai during the elections had reasons beyond Chhattisgarhi pride. Had this issue been prominent then it could had its effect in the neighbouring Vaishali Nagar constituency also where Tarachand had indirectly asked his supporters to defeat Saroj. Saroj won by a margin of twenty two thousand votes. It would be unfair to state that the Sahu community en masse is supporting Tarachand. A glaring example is that of the recently held Sahu Mitra Sabha elections. Tarachand supported Chhattisgarhi Swabhiman Manch panel member though was elected president of the Sabha but he won the elections by a margin of mere 200 votes. He polled around 1500 votes while his opponent Sevakram Sahu, who is a known supporter of Prem Prakash Pandey polled nearly 1300 votes. This is an indication that that not all Sahus support Tarachand for the issue he had taken up. According to a prominent member of the Sahu community, these are all issues raked up by politicians for achieving their political means. Who is a local and who is an outsider, a politician has no right to divide people on these lines. There are Chhattisgrhi’s working in other states for their livelihood. Such politics of discrimination is not in the interest of any state and its people. In this elections the Sahu votes in the district will decide the winners as usual. But Sahu communities by and large are known to be BJP supporters. With Tarachand contesting as an independent candidate he may engineer a division in the Sahu votes. But whether an independent candidate manages to win the elections in Durg, history will have to be rewritten.