Demining Democracy – an Ethnographic Study of Assembly Election Campaign in Kelabadi Labour Camp, a Low-Lying Slum on Outskirts of Dalli Rajhara, Town in Chhattisgarh Known for Mining Activity
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Demining Democracy[pic 1][pic 2][pic 3]An ethnographic study of assembly election campaign in Kelabadi Labour Camp, a low-lying slum on outskirts of Dalli rajhara, town in Chhattisgarh known for mining activity. ___________________________________________________________________Narendra Kaushik___________________________________________________________________Prepared through Governance NowUnder the Comparative Electoral Ethnographies Project supervised by Dr Mukulika Banerjee
Constituency ProfileDondi lohara is the only constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) in newly-carved Balod District of Chhattisgarh. There are three assembly constituencies in the district.  Dondi lohara mainly comprises Dondi and Dondilohara sub divisions, Dalli rajhara town and houses 1, 89, 229 voters (94,975 males and 94,254 females). There are over 200 villages in the constituency (56 Gram Panchayats in Dondi and 102 Gram Panchayats in Dondi lohara). Over 50 per cent voters in the constituency are STs. The constituency was with Janak Lal Thakur of Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha, a labour organization of miners founded by late Shankar Guha Niyogi, for two terms (1985-1990 and 1993-1998). In between (1990-1993) Jhumuk Lal Bhedia of Congress represented it in Madhya Pradesh Assembly. In 2003, Lal Mahendra Singh Tekam, a royal from Dondi lohara, wrested it for the BJP from Thakur. In 2008, Tekam’s wife Neelima Singh became a BJP MLA from the seat in 2008. Local Body Equations: Congress rules in 27-member Dalli rajhara Municipality. The party wrested it from the CMM in 2009. The latter ruled over the municipality for two consecutive terms. Currently while Ward Number 11 is with BJP’s Ratan Thakur, Ward Number 12 is represented in the Council by Congress’ Narmada Sahare who defeated Santri Bai Nishad, wife of then CMM Councillor Vishnu Ram Nishad. Lok Sabha Scenario: The constituency is part of Kanker (ST) Lok Sabha seat represented by BJP’s Sohan Potai since 1998. Potai, a tribal and a former civil servant, has won the seat four times consecutively. Earlier the constituency was considered a bastion of Indian National Congress having returned Arvind Netam to the lower house of the parliament four times (1980, 1984, 1989 and 1991). Netam’s wife Chhabila represented the seat for two years from 1996 onwards before losing to Potai.  The Candidates BJP has replaced Neelima Singh Tekam with Hori Lal Rawte, a forest officer. Congress has fielded Anila Bhedia, daughter-in-law of Jhumuk Lal and sister-in-law of Domendra Bhedia, party president of Balod District. Thakur is once again in the fray on Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha’s ticket. Both BJP and Congress face rebellion with local Congress and BJP leaders Anita Kumeti and Banwari Lal Markam having filed nominations as independents. Gondwana Gantantra Party’s Tukaram Koram and five other candidates are also in the race to win the seat. Caste Equations:It is mainly a fight between Halba and Gaur tribes in Dondi lohara with mining labour organizations getting marginalized by the day. Though Halbas have a larger number in the constituency, Lal Mahendra Singh Tekam and his wife Neelima Singh (Gaur) triumphed here in 2003 and 2008 because Halba vote got divided. Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha (CMM) which originated from Chhattisgarh Mines Shramik Sangh (CMSS), an association of mining workers, has lost much of its support base because the number of miners has greatly shrunk in last seven years. The number of regular mining workers has reduced from around 17,000 to about 3,000 since 2006. The number of society workers (who work under contractors) also stands at less than 300 now. An overwhelming majority of candidates are either Halbas or Gaurs.