Chhattisgarh witnessed a political turnaround on Sunday (December 3) as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) surged ahead, surpassing the halfway mark in the state assembly elections. According to the Election Commission website, the BJP claimed victory in 54 seats, effectively ousting the Congress.
In the electoral contest for the 90 constituencies, the Congress secured victory in 35 seats, while the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) clinched one seat, as reported by the Election Commission.
In response to the grand old party's defeat in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel tendered his resignation to the Governor.
Contrary to expectations, Chhattisgarh, previously considered a stronghold for the Congress, took a dramatic turn by mid-afternoon. In the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress had secured 68 seats, with the BJP trailing at 15. The Janata Congress Chhattisgarh had won five segments.
Even exit polls had forecasted a Congress victory, predicting 49 seats, slightly above the majority mark of 46, with the BJP expected to secure 38 seats. However, the BJP leads has won 53 of the state's 90 seats, marking a significant increase from 2018, while the Congress trails with 35 seats, a decrease of 33 from the previous election.
Chhattisgarh Key Candidates:
Baghel was elected from the Patan constituency. According to the ECI, he received 95,438 votes, while his distant nephew and BJP candidate Vijay Baghel received 75,715 votes.
In Chhattisgarh's Ambikapur, Rajesh Agrawal of the BJP defeated INC's TS Singh Deo by 94 votes! Deo received 90686 votes, while Agrawal received 90780 votes. Ambikapur is known to be tribal-dominated, reflecting the demographic and cultural diversity of Chhattisgarh. Singh Deo, a three-term MLA from an ex-royal family, was elected to this seat for the first time in 2008.
The Bastar division has 12 seats, 11 of which are designated for STs. In the 2018 elections, the Congress won 11 of the 12 seats, with the BJP winning only Dantewada.
In 2018, the Congress won 68 seats in the 90-member Assembly, ending the 15-year rule of the BJP, which could only win 15 seats.
The BJP won all 14 seats in Surguja division in the 2023 elections, the results of which were announced on Sunday.
Ambikapur, Manendragarh, Baikunthpur, Premnagar, Pratappur, Ramanuganj, Samri, Lundra, Sitapur, Jashpur, Kunkuri, Bhatgaon, Bharatput-Sonhat, and Pathalgaon segments were victorious.