Barely five months after the Congress swept the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, the party has ceded ground almost entirely to the BJP, which won nine out of 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Congress campaign was on the 'Jo kaha so kiya' plank, laying emphasis on the promises it had fulfilled, including a farm loan waiver, MSP of Rs 2,500 for paddy, halving electricity tariff and employment generation, while tribal welfare was also a key part of its plan. Congress president Rahul Gandhi campaigned extensively in the state, emphasising on the good work done by the party in the last five years. On the other hand, the BJP's campaign focussed on nationalism and PM Narendra Modi's leadership. Interestingly, the BJP dropped all its sitting MPs in the state and fielded new candidates from all 11 seats. This was to beat anti-incumbency, a strategy that clearly worked.