Congress has renominated TS Singh Deo, a member of an erstwhile royal family (File)
After staying away from electoral politics for around 15 years, the erstwhile Royal family of Ambagarh Chowki in Chhattisgarh has once again got a chance to try its luck in this month's assembly polls.
Sanjeev Shah, a scion of the erstwhile Nagvanshi Gond royal family from Ambagarh Chowki, is among at least seven members of princely families who are in the fray in the state assembly elections this time.
While the Congress and the BJP each have given tickets to three royal scions, one such nominee has been fielded by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
A two-term former MLA, Mr Shah is the BJP nominee from Mohla-Manpur (ST), located in the Maoist-hit Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district.
The Mohla-Manpur segment, which was earlier part of the Chowki constituency, came into existence after delimitation ahead of the 2008 assembly elections in Chhattisgarh and since then BJP has never won in this constituency.
The palace in Ambagarh Chowki which had lost its political sheen is once again decked up with BJP flags, posters and banners, Mr Shah said.
“Our family had been associated with politics since the country got independence. My grandmother Kanak Kumari Devi was elected as an MLA from Chowki (ST) assembly seat as a Congress candidate in 1957 assembly polls in undivided Madhya Pradesh,” Mr Shah told PTI.
In the 1977 assembly elections, Bhupendra Shah, popularly known as Manjhla Kumar, younger brother of his grandfather, won Chowki as a Janata Party candidate, he said.
Mr Shah said his father contested from Chowki as an independent candidate with the BJP's support in 1980 but lost by around 1,000 votes.
“We are close relatives of Rani Durgavati's descendants. Our Rajmahal (palace) in Ambagarh Chowki was built in 1740. Earlier, our family lived in other places,” the BJP leader said.
According to locals, the Ambagarh Chowki royal family was close to the Congress.
The BJP gave an opportunity to Sanjeev Shah from Chowki constituency for the first time in the 1998 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections. He defeated Congress' Goverdhan Netam.
Mr Shah won the seat for the second time in 2003 when the first assembly elections were held in Chhattisgarh, which was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000.
After delimitation in 2008, Mohla-Manpur was created covering the maximum part of Chowki, while Ambagarh Chowki became part of the Khujji assembly segment.
In 2008, BJP denied a ticket to Mr Shah and tried different candidates in 2008, 2013 and 2018 polls but none of them could taste success despite BJP winning state elections twice. The BJP has now turned towards its old faces on many seats and Mohla-Manpur is one among them.
The Congress has fielded its sitting MLA Indrashah Mandavi from this seat.
Kaushal Janghel, a resident of Manpur town, said the Ambagarh Chowki royal family does not hold sway over the locals anymore but Sanjeev Shah may have an advantage due to his humble, polite and accessible nature.
The BJP has also fielded two members of the influential Judev royal family of Jashpur in the Surguja division (north Chhattisgarh) to which senior party leader late Dilip Singh Judev belonged.
Dilip Singh Judev's father Vijay Bhushan Judev, who was the king of Jashpur princely state, had also served as a Lok Sabha MP.
Dilip Singh Judev had served as the minister of state for environment and forests in the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government at the Centre.
His son Yudhveer Singh Judev had been a two-time legislator from Chandrapur seat which falls in the adjoining Bilaspur division. BJP has nominated the late Yudhveer's wife Sanyogita Singh for the second time from Chandrapur seat.
In the 2018 assembly elections, Sanyogita had unsuccessfully contested elections from this constituency. Congress has fielded its sitting MLA Ram Kumar Yadav from here.
Dilip Singh Judev's other son Prabal Pratap Singh Judev has been fielded from Kota seat in Bilaspur district.
Prabal is known for carrying forward his father's legacy of ‘ghar-wapsi' (homecoming) programme against the alleged conversion of tribals in northern Chhattisgarh.
In a reel shared on his social media handle recently, Prabal was termed ‘Chhattisgarh ke Yogi' (referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath).
Kota seat is currently held by Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) MLA Renu Jogi, the wife of former chief minister late Ajit Jogi. Chairman of Chhattisgarh Tourism Board Atal Shrivastav is the Congress nominee from Kota where a triangular contest is on cards.
Congress has renominated three sitting MLAs, including Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo, who are members of erstwhile royal families.
Mr Singh Deo, a three-term MLA, who belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Surguja, is seeking his fourth straight term from his traditional Ambikapur seat.
His family is said to have considerable influence in Surguja division, north Chhattisgarh which has 14 assembly segments.
Mr Singh Deo was among the contenders from Congress for the chief ministerial post after his party was elected to power in 2018. BJP has fielded a fresh face, Rajesh Agrawal, against Singh Deo. Agrawal had joined the BJP after quitting Congress ahead of 2018 assembly polls.
Royal scions of Koriya is another family in the Surguja region which has been active in state politics.
Ramchandra Singhdeo from this family had served as the first finance minister of Chhattisgarh. After his demise in July 2018, his niece, Ambika Singh Deo, was fielded by Congress from Baikunthpur seat. She defeated the then state minister and BJP's Bhaiyyalal Rajwade. Once again, the two are pitted against each other from Baikunthpur in this month's polls.
Devendra Bahadur Singh (63), who hails from the erstwhile Gond royal family of Phuljhar (now in Mahasamund district), is the Congress nominee from his incumbent seat Basna.
Mr Singh, a four-term MLA, has served as minister of state in the Ajit Jogi-led Congress government in Chhattisgarh (2000-2003).
Talking to PTI, Devendra Bahadur said his family has been active in politics since independence with his father serving as an MLA and uncle as legislator and Rajya Sabha MP.
He said the royal family factor does not influence poll outcomes anymore now as people see how their representatives work for their development and the area.
BJP has fielded Sampat Agrawal from Basna seat.
AAP has fielded Khadgraj Singh, who hails from erstwhile Lohara princely state (Kabirdham district), from Kawardha seat. He was earlier associated with BJP and Gondwana Gantantra Party.
Congress' sitting MLA and state minister Mohammad Akbar is the party nominee from Kawardha, while the BJP has fielded a new face, Vijay Sharma.
Polling to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17. Votes will be counted on December 3.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)