Raipur: As the Congress has appointed tribal face Mohan Markam as the the chief of its unit in Chhattisgarh, it seems both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the grand old party are eyeing tribal votes here.
On Friday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi appointed Markam as the PCC chief in Chhattisgarh, replacing Bhupesh Baghel, the Chhattisgarh chief minister.
The BJP, after losing the Assembly polls in 2018, had replaced state head Dharamlal Kaushik with tribal leader Vikram Usendi. Usendi was a school teacher before he joined the politics in 1990s. He was elected as an MLA from Narayanpur in the undivided Madhya Pradesh in 1993.
51-year-old Kondagaon MLA Markam’s story is similar to Usendi. He used to work as an insurance agent and after losing his job, he got into touch with then Chhattisgarh chief minister and senior Congress leader Ajit Jogi.
Few would have imagined that this young man would lead the party in the state.
An aggressive and grounded politician, Markam is known for a live contact with the public. He could often be seen with files, visiting police headquarters to get the grievances of the tribals addressed or taking part in public works along with local workers.
Coming from a humble background, Markam, the two-time MLA, has even defeated former BJP minister Lata Usendi.
Many believe the Congress has sent a strong message against charges of nepotism and favouritism by appointing Markam. In fact, the tribal voters were crucial when a resilient Congress had toppled the BJP from power last year. This was evident from the fact that the Congress had secured sizable wins in tribal-dominated Sarguja and Bastar regions.
On his appointment as PCC chief, Markam expressed gratitude towards all senior party leaders who expressed faith in him. He affirmed to work in the favour of agitating tribals in the state and said he would work to strengthen the party till booth level.
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