By IANS
Raipur : The campaigning ended Saturday for Monday’s by-election in the Keshkal assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh that is expected to see a direct fight between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.
As many as six ministers and about a dozen state-level party leaders addressed public meetings for the BJP Saturday evening. For the Congress, Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma and state party president Charandas Mahant addressed gatherings.
The by-election is necessitated because of the death of Mahesh Baghel (BJP) in a car accident in August last year. The seat is reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST).
While the election is expected to see a direct contest between Sevakram Netam of the BJP and Budhsan Markam of the Congress, there are three independents in the fray too, with one of them backed by the Shiv Sena.
The counting will be held Feb 7. The by-election result will be an indicator of where the parties stand before the state’s 90-member assembly poll to be held by November this year.