Chhattisgarh Congress president Deepak Baij is also an MP from Bastar, and he is now contesting the assembly polls from Chitrakoot constituency.  

In a conversation with Newslaundry, Baij said he was confident that Congress will win over 75 of the 90 seats in the state. In his stronghold Bastar, a Maoist belt, he said the Congress will “win all 12 seats”. “In Chhattisgarh, the BJP has already accepted its loss…will shrink to 15 seats.” 

On the demand for a tribal chief minister, he said: “I don’t think at present we need it [tribal chief minister]. Our chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has done good work.”      

Baij shrugged off any claims that Maoism was nearing its end in the state. “Where are we saying Maoism has ended? We said that Bastar is returning to peace…Bhupesh Baghel directly engaged in talks with them [Maoists].”

The Congress leader also spoke about the corruption allegations, ED raid, welfare schemes, the BJP’s prospects, and his transition from being a two-time MLA to an MP, and now contesting in the assembly polls again.   

Watch.

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