ED SEIZURE HOTS UP CONGRESS, BJP BATTLE IN CHHATTISGARH

Political analysts say corruption may appeal to first-time voters as an election issue.

- RAHUL CHHABRA

Just days before the first phase of voting for the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly, the political landscape has been virtually set on fire by allegations from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel may have taken Rs 508 crore from the Mahadev betting app promoters-a charge dismissed by the CM as a desperate attempt by the BJP to mislead voters and get a respectable number of seats in a losing battle.

Political analysts say corruption may appeal to first-time voters as an election issue and any marginal swing among the undecided electorates may have a bearing on the results, especially on the crunch 15 seats in which the margin of victory was less than 5,000 in the 2018 election. The flip side of the ED probe can be that of evoking sympathy in favour of the Chief Minister and drawing out committed Congress voters out of homes in larger numbers on the voting day. However, the timing of ED's arrest of a man, Asim Das, carrying Rs 5.4 crore-allegedly for "one politician Baghel"-has left the Congress with a very small window before voting on Tuesday to dispel confusion and doubts about the incident. The Congress is left with almost no time to reach out to voters and explain that the allegations are "false" or politically motivated. So far, four people have been arrested, said a political science teacher from a Delhi University college.

The ED seizure in the election-bound state is likely to partially disturb the Congress campaign. If party leaders are dragged into clearing the air over the ED action, their attention may be diverted from their busy campaign schedule, said a political analyst.