Raipur, Oct. 10: Raman Singh could not kill the demon here last evening although assuring citizens over phones for a couple of days before Dussehra, but ensured the symbolic victory over evil in his constituency, Rajnandgaon.

Even before the chief minister could aim the arrow, the effigy of Ravan in the historic WRS Colony Dussehra festival here went into the flames accidentally.

With the state heading for Assembly election later next month, Dussehra added political significance this year. Two days before the festival, the recorded message of Singh was aired on landline and cellphones across the city with the chief minister asserting to kill the evil forces this Dussehra.

But his efforts went in vain when it came to translate the message into action. Singh was supposed to release the arrow at the WRS Colony function to kill 101ft effigy of Ravan. Prior to the event, attractive firework enthralled the huge gathering. Accidentally, spark of crackers lit the right hand of Ravan’s effigy on fire. As the effigy went into the flames, the organisers rushed to put out the fire. But they could do little as Ravan “died” in the Chhattisgarh capital well before the death of his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnadh.

Throughout the Dussehra festival — where Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan was also present — Ravan had kept the organisers on their toes well before the function started. A day before, the storm that hit the city brought the huge effigy on the ground. The organisers anyhow put it in place within 24 hours. Ravan — of the Ramleela drama party that performs the show before the huge effigies are set on fire — had heated exchanges with the organisers when they stopped his supporters to enter the stage following security reasons.

Singh, however, levelled the score later when he made Ravan waiting for hours in Rajnandgaon to die at his hands. After attending the function in Raipur, Singh rushed to Rajnandgaon, about 75km from here.

Since Singh is exploring the possibilities to contest the Assembly election from Rajnandgaon, he was invited to attend a number of Dussehra programmes there. Singh reached there around 9.30pm. And the Ravan, who dodged him in Raipur, waited in Rajnandgaon for hours only to die when Singh’s arrow ripped his heart open.