Yogendra Koushik, former RSS Bastar Nagar pracharak and in charge of Ekal Eklavya Vidyalayas (single-teacher schools) in Bastar, who contested the Bastar municipal council elections as a BJP candidate, lost to Jatin Jaiswal of the Congress by 2,637 votes on Sunday.
His defeat puts a question mark over the aggressive campaign run by the right-wing organisations against Christian missionaries for the alleged forced conversions of tribals in the region.
A BJP activist working in the Jagdalpur block said Mr. Koushik’s candidature was not accepted by the BJP workers who wanted someone from the party to be fielded.
“Mr. Koushik has a clean image; but his non-political background did not enthuse the BJP workers… His campaign was run by the RSS and the VHP,” he said.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad had banned the Christian missionaries from over 50 villages.
However, VHP Bastar district president Suresh Yadav denied that his organisation had any role in the civic elections.
“We are just voters, and we only voted in the elections. The VHP does not take part in elections,” he told The Hindu .
Asked whether the VHP’s campaign resulted in Mr. Koushik’s defeat, Mr. Yadav said: “That’s not correct. The Christians had never voted for the BJP in earlier elections, too. The BJP candidate, however, did not visit churches to win Christian votes as the Congress candidate did.”
