After the debacle in the 2018 Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, the BJP had something to cheer about in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, as the tribal state saw the Congress completing first year in office and forward movement on a slew of pre-poll promises amid continued Naxal violence.
The Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress governments decisions, including a farm loan waiver, reducing power tariff and setting up an SIT to probe cases during the BJP rule dominated political and public discourse in the state.
The Congress-ruled state's relations with the Centre, where the BJP is in power, came under strain over a number of issues during the year.
The death of a BJP MLA and four security personnel in a Maoist ambush in April sent shock waves, but overall figures indicated that police had an upper hand in the fight against Naxals this year.
After the November 2018 assembly elections, the state witnessed high-pitched political activity in initial months of 2019 as both the Congress, which returned to power after a gap of 15 years, and the BJP geared up for the April-May 2019 Lok Sabha battle.
The BJPs strategy to replace all its 10 incumbent MPs to counter local anti-incumbency paid rich dividends for the party with eight of the new candidates romping home.
The BJP won nine of the 11 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress managed to bag just two, taking some shine off its Assembly poll victory.
However, the Congress made up by winning bypolls in Dantewada and Chiktrakot Assembly segments in September and October, respectively.
The ruling party also put up a good show in urban body elections held in December.
Two top politicians of the state - former chief ministers Raman Singh (BJP) and Ajit Jogi - had to wade through troubled waters this year as they faced several allegations against themselves and their families.
In January, the government set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an inquiry into alleged multi-crore scam in Civil Supplies Corporation unearthed during the BJP regime when Raman Singh was chief minister.
In September, former manager of Civil Supplies Corp Shiv Sankar Bhatt, an accused in the alleged scam, claimed that Raman Singh and former food minister were allegedly involved in corruption.
Raman Singhs son Abhishek Singh, a former MP, got embroiled in a controversy after cheating cases were filed d against him in police stations of Surguja and Rajnandgaon districts in June-August in connection with alleged chit fund scams.
In March, the police registered a case against Raman Singhs son-in-law Dr Puneet Gupta for alleged financial irregularities during his tenure as superintendent of a state-run hospital here.
Similarly, Ajit Jogi, who heads the Janata Congress Chhattigsarh (J) party, faced fresh trouble over his caste status after a high-level caste scrutiny committee set up by the state government in August rejected his claim of belonging to a Scheduled Tribe (ST).
Subsequently, an FIR was also lodged against him in this connection.
In September, Jogis son Amit Jogi was arrested in Bilaspur for allegedly giving false information in a poll affidavit submitted by him during the 2013 state assembly election. He was later granted bail.
Both Raman Singh and Ajit Jogi continued to encounter trouble after Manturam Pawar, the Congress candidate in the Antagarh Assembly bypoll of 2014, who abruptly withdrew from the fray, made sensational claims.
In September, Pawar alleged the by-election had been fixed by Raman Singh, the then CM, Ajit Jogi and former MLA Amit Jogi.
The three opposition leaders, however, rejected charges against them and accused the Congress government of engaging in "vendetta politics.
A confrontation was witnessed between the state and the Centre over paddy procurement, withdrawal of general consent for Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probes in the state and NIA probe into BJP MLAs death in Naxal attack.
In addition to high-pitched political events, two major Naxal attacks ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls in April, attracted attention and put the government's security apparatus under the scanner.
Four BSF personnel were killed in an encounter with ultras in Kanker district on April 4, while BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi and four security personnel lost their lives when Naxalites blew up their vehicle with an IED (improvised explosive device) in Dantewada district on April 9.
These attacks revived questions about counter- insurgency preparedness of security agencies.
From January 1 to December 26 this year, 79 Naxals were killed in 116 encounters with security forces in the state.
In February, the police achieved a major success when 10 Naxals were gunned down in an encounter in Bijapur district.
Altogether 22 security personnel lost their lives in Naxal-related incidents in 2019, down from 58 in 2018.
Besides, 46 civilians were killed in Naxal violence, down from 89 last year. Moreover, 484 Naxals have surrendered and 308 arrested this year.
Chief Minister Baghel has said his government will eliminate the Maoist menace by winning local people's trust and ensuring development in the affected areas.
The other developments that drew attention were a judicial commissions report indicting security forces for killing 17 civilians in Sarkeguda village in Bijpaur in an alleged fake encounter in 2012, protest by tribals against mining on a hill in the Bailadila iron ore mining region of Dantewada and death of senior Maoist leader Ramanna.
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