Slain PCC chief’s son,Karma’s wife in Congress list

Party MLA Kawasi Lakhma,who was involved in a controversy after the attack,has been renominated from Konta-ST.

The Congress on Friday released the first list of its candidates for the Chhattisgarh assembly elections,naming close relatives of three prominent state party leaders who were killed in the May 25 Maoist attack. They are Umesh Patel,Alka Mudliyar and Devti Karma.

Umesh,son of the slain PCC chief Nandkumar Patel,has been fielded from Kharsia while Alka,wife of former MLA Vijay Mudliary,is the party nominee from Rajnandgaon,the constituency currently represented by Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Devti Karma,wife of Mahendra Karma,a former home minister who was a guiding force behind anti-Naxal Salwa Judum movement,has been fielded from the Dantewada-ST seat.

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Party MLA Kawasi Lakhma,who was involved in a controversy after the attack,has been renominated from Konta-ST.

Chhattisgarh has a 90-member Assembly and the election in the state are being held in two phases next month.

The Congress has been out of power in the state for the past 10 years and is making concerted efforts to oust the ruling BJP.