 "BJP")
In a huge boost to its morale ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrested back control of Chhattisgarh from the Indian National Congress (INC) in a crucial electoral victory. The saffron party was leading on 54 seats out of 90 with Congress at 35. Gondvana Gantantra Party was leading on one seat. A party or coalition needs to win 46 seats to form the government in Chhattisgarh.
Outgoing Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel cruised to victory by more than 19,000 votes in Patan against his nephew and BJP candidate Vijay Baghel. Deputy CM TS Singh Deo lost by more than 7,000 votes against the BJP's Rajesh Agrawal in Ambikapur. BJP's Lalit Chandrakar won the Durg (rural) assembly by defeating Chhattisgarh Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu. Contesting on a BJP ticket, former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer OP Chaudhary clinched the Raigarh seat by a margin of 64,000 votes against Congress's Prakash Shakrajeet Naik. BJP's Guru Khushwant Saheb defeated state cabinet minister Shiv Daharia in the Arang constituency. Parliamentary affairs minister of Chhattisgarh Ravindra Choubey lost the Saja seat to BJP's Ishwar Sahoo. Congress's Guru Rudra Kumar was trailing behind BJP's Dayaldas Baghel in the race for the Nawagarh seat.
The election results have broken the Congress' hopes of revival in the Hindi heartland and amplified the saffron party's confidence ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in 2024. The BJP's tactical manoeuvre of not projecting any chief ministerial face and the creation of narratives involving the Modi government's welfare schemes yielded rich dividends for the party. The margin of the party's victory in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh has taken even some of its leaders by surprise. Amping up the governance pitch has also worked in the BJP's favour. The BJP's central leadership will take particular glee in the electoral results, especially since Rahul Gandhi's demand of a caste census to reach out to Other Backward Classes (OBC) voters failed to gain much traction.
Ahead of the Chhattisgarh assembly polls, the BJP announced an annual grant of Rs 12,000 to married women, subsidised LPG cylinders priced at Rs 500 for economically disadvantaged families, and a deposit of Rs 1,50,000 on the birth of a girl child in BJP-affiliated households. The Congress announced subsidised LPG cylinders at Rs 500 to every stratum of society. The party also announced an annual grant of Rs 15,000 for women.
Poll debacle result of Congress going at it alone: CPI(M)
The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala on Sunday said that Congress's decision to go at it alone to defeat the saffron party was the sole reason for the poll debacle.
The CPI(M), a part of the INDIA alliance, also alleged that "infighting" within the grand old party, "hunger for power", and some of its leaders working as "undercover agents of the BJP", all led to the present outcome in the assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said he would not be surprised if some people cry foul and blame EVMs for the assembly polls outcome.
PM Modi thanks voters for reposing trust in BJP
Taking to X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked voters in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh for reposing faith in the saffron party. PM Modi said, "The election results of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh show that the people of India have faith only in the politics of good governance and development, their faith is in BJP. I heartily thank the family members of all these states, especially the mothers, sisters, daughters and our young voters, for showering their love, trust and blessings on the BJP."
A total of 15.5 million voters cast their votes in all 90 Assemblies, according to electoral data. Of these, 7.81 million were women, while 7.74 lakh were men. In 2018, the Congress won 68 seats in Chhattisgarh and the BJP won 15 seats. Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) won five seats, while the Bahujan Samaj Party won two seats.
