Lok Sabha Election 2024 3rd Phase Voting: "BJP Forgot About 400-Paar After First 2 Phases": Bhupesh Baghel To NDTV

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel mocked the BJP today, saying the party has given up on its aspiration for 400-plus seats after the first two phases of election. And now, "after Phase 3, they are in a tight corner," he added.

Talking to NDTV after casting his vote in the third phase of election, Mr Baghel said, "After the first two phases they forgot about crossing 400. So they started talking about Muslim League and mangalsutra and cattle". "Now they can't even talk about that," added Mr Baghel, who lost his state to the BJP last year.

The Phase 3 of the election mostly covered areas that are part of the BJP stronghold, including Gujarat and the two states the party wrested from the Congress last year -- Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

In 2019, the party won 72 of the 92 seats going to polls today, 26 of them in Gujarat alone. That year, the BJP had also won nine of Chhattisgarh's 11 seats -- only two seats had gone to the Congress.

This time, given the results of the last assembly polls, the BJP is hoping for a clean sweep.

Chhattisgarh has favoured the BJP for the last two decades. In 2004, 2009 and 2014, the BJP won 10 of the 11 Lok Sabha seats.
Voting is being held in nine of the 11 seats today and the Congress is banking on anti-incumbency built up over the years.

Mr Baghel, who has also been made in-charge of the two VIP constituencies of Uttar Pradesh -- Amethi and Raebareli -- said he would visit the state on May 9, after a quick detour to Odisha.