Saja, Chhattisgarh
Saja is an assembly constituency under Saja in Chhattisgarh, India.
Politics:
The seat came into existence in 1967 and has been an INC and Choubey family stronghold. Before Shri Ravindra Choubey, his elder brother Shri Pradeep Choubey and his mother Smt. Kumari Devi have also won from this seat.
Shri Ravindra Choubey has been elected 6 times from this seat, from 1985 till 2008 and is popularly known as Maharaj ji in the area.
Current MLA: Shri Labh Chand Baphna, BJP
Shri Ravindra Choubey is a tall leader from the seat who had won since 1985, with the exception of 2013, where it is believed that Shri Ajit Jogi made focussed efforts to defeat Shri Ravindra Choubey, due to internal rift. The fundamental caste equation of the seat also tends to be in favour of the INC with major castes i.e. Sahus and Satnamis being more inclined towards INC and the other major caste Lodhis being traditional BJP supporters. Furthermore a poor image of sitting BJP MLA Shri Baphna makes this seat tough for BJP.
Demographics
OBCs and General comprise around 80% of the population, with OBCs in majority. Among OBCs, Lodhis are in majority, followed by Telis and then Kurmis. There are total 1.4 lakh voters in the constituency. There are two major tehsils Durg and Dhamdha and four nagar panchayats in the region- Deokar, Saja, Thankhamaria and Parpaudi nagar panchayat. Lodhis are majorly concentrated in Saja and Thankhamaria while OBCs are majorly in Saja and Deokar region
| Community | Numbers | Remarks |
| OBC- Lodhis | 35% | Spread throughout the AC, however, densely concentrated in Saja and Thankhamaria area. |
| OBC- Sahus, followed by Kurmis and Yadavs | 30% | Majorly concentrated in Saja and Deokar region. Major leaders: Shri Tamradhwaj Sahu |
| SC- Satnamis | 25% | Majorly in Saja and Parpaudi region |
| Gen, Others | 10% |
Key Political Issues
- Major resentment among the farming community as majority of them grow tomatoes and they have had to sell their produce at Rs. 1/kg. Lack of any agro processing plant, irregular distribution of Fasal Bima claims and drought-like situation has further added to their woes.
- No action against illegal sand mafia has been taken.
- Lack of employment opportunities, clean drinking water and bad condition of roads are other major issues here.
| Key Elements | Locations | Importance |
| Major Landmarks | Shankarji Mandir, Sahaspur | Popularly visited by politicians |
| Cultural festivals | ||
| Colleges | ||
| Melas |