It is the last day of campaigning for the first phase of Chhattisgarh state polls beginning 11 November. While PM Manmohan Singh will speak to Congress workers in Raipur, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader LK Advani will address three public gatherings in the poll-bound state on Saturday.
Advani will hold rallies in Kasdol, Bilaspur and Bhatapara on Saturday for the second phase of the state assembly elections scheduled for 17 November.
Sushma Swaraj, the leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, will address a public gathering at Rajnandgaon, where Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had tried to persuade tribal voters on Friday.
Gandhi held two rallies in the pith of Naxalism, where he blamed the BJP government in Chhattisgarh of failing to curb Maoist terror in the region. He called the BJP leadership a 'world champion of corruption'. He slammed the Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh over the dastardly Maoist attacks that wiped out the Congress leadership in the state in July.
He visited the battleground following Congress president Sonia Gandhi's rally in Bastar on Thursday where she too criticised the Raman Singh government of playing 'divisive politics'.
"The BJP just talks but the Congress party delivers its promises. We have given employment to the poorest of poor. We have guaranteed you food through the food security scheme. For regions affected with Naxalism, there will be schemes for rehabilitation," she had said.
Referring to Sonia Gandhi as 'Madam', BJP prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi reacted to her statement on Friday. 'Madam said Congress party doesn't just talk but works. Madam is right; the Congress doesn't speak about its scams at all,' he said.
Voting for first phase in 18 constituencies, out of which 12 are in Maoist-affected tribal Bastar region, spread over eight districts in south Chhattisgarh will be held on 11 November.
The remaining 72 constituencies will witness the polls on 19 November and results of the assembly elections, along with those in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, will be announced on December 8.
