The 90-seat Chhattisgarh Assembly elections that were held in two phases in November, now await the moment of truth. The results will be announced by the Election Commission of India on December 3 after the counting of votes is over. As the nation awaits the results, all eyes are on the contest between the incumbent Congress party and the BJP. Keen to make a comeback in Chhattisgarh, the BJP put forth some really strong candidates for the Assembly Elections. Congress which has had a stronghold in Chhattisgarh since 2018 is largely banking upon CM Bhupesh Baaghel for its victory in the state.
Here’s a look at the key candidates in Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2023:
Bhupesh Baghel
Serving as the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC) chief, Bhupesh Baghel earned recognition for leading the party to victory in the 2018 polls, ending the 15-year rule of the BJP led by Raman Singh. Since assuming the role of Chief Minister at the age of 62, Baghel has gained popularity in the state through the implementation of various schemes over the past five years, with his government allocating Rs 1.75 lakh crore towards public welfare. Baghel’s political journey commenced in 1985 with the Congress, progressing to his role as a youth leader in Durg (Rural) in 1990. Since 1993, he has served as a five-time MLA from Patan and a three-time minister before assuming the position of Chief Minister in 2018.
Baghel’s confidence is evident in his straightforward approach, consistently addressing media queries on matters such as Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids, BJP’s corruption allegations, and non-implementation of Central schemes. Employing a soft-Hindutva stance and emphasizing regionalism, Baghel has effectively countered the BJP’s political strategies.
TS Singh Deo
TS Singh Deo has maintained a 40-year association with the Congress. Deo had recently faced criticism for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a moment seized upon by the BJP to target the Congress.
Looking back, in collaboration with Baghel, Singh Deo played a pivotal role in the party’s triumph in 2018, securing victories in every seat within the northern Surguja division’s tribal belt. Despite being a contender for the CM post in 2018, he ultimately lost to Baghel. Speculation arose about Baghel and Singh Deo potentially sharing the CM seat, but this prospect did not materialize, leading to internal party discord. Singh Deo even publicly expressed doubts about contesting elections.
The party then appointed him Deputy CM merely four months before the Assembly elections and included him in the core election committee responsible for ticket allocation. Although sources close to Singh Deo indicate lingering dissatisfaction, the three-time MLA from Ambikapur has remained actively engaged in campaigning for the party.
Raman Singh
Raman Singh, who served as Chhattisgarh’s Chief Minister for the longest tenure, held the position from the inaugural Assembly election in 2003 until 2018. However, in the 2018 elections, the BJP led by Singh faced defeat, securing only 15 seats in the 90-member House. Singh began his political journey during college, and achieved his first electoral victory as a councillor in 1983. After two terms as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), he successfully contested and won his initial Lok Sabha election in 1999. In 2003, the BJP selected Singh to lead the party in the state’s first Assembly poll, prompting his resignation as a Union minister to return to Chhattisgarh.
Now a six-time MLA, Singh is once again contesting from Rajnandgaon, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted a rally on the day of his nomination filing. In the upcoming election, Singh will be pitted against Girish Dewangan of the Congress, who serves as the state Mineral Development Corporation chairman and has recently been subject to raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Vijay Baghel
Vijay Baghel, a former member of the Congress party at 64, is distantly related to the current Chief Minister, Bhupesh Baghel, as his nephew. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Vijay emerged victorious from Durg, securing a substantial lead of 3.92 lakh votes over the Congress candidate. Now, he faces Bhupesh for the fourth time, contending for the Patan seat in Durg district, their shared hometown.
While Vijay successfully defeated Bhupesh in the 2008 Assembly polls, he also faced defeat twice in the 2003 and 2013 Assembly polls. After leaving the Congress in 2000, Vijay secured victory in the municipal elections as an Independent from Bhilai Charoda, eventually assuming the role of Municipal Council chairman.
Brijmohan Agrawal
In 2018, despite a significant setback for his party, 64-year-old four-time minister Brijmohan Agrawal secured his seventh consecutive MLA victory with a substantial margin of over 17,000 votes. Acknowledged as a vocal leader, Agrawal spearheaded the opposition against the Congress in the Vidhan Sabha, particularly targeting CM Baghel. Agrawal initiated his political journey at 18 by joining the ABVP. At 31, in 1990, he became the youngest MLA in Madhya Pradesh and earned the title of the best MLA in the undivided state in 1997.
Known for his strong ties to the trader community in Raipur city, Agrawal’s ability to maintain influence is considered a significant asset. In these elections, he has been challenged by Ramsundar Das, a former MLA and the mahant of the Dudhadhari temple, associated with the Congress. Das had previously opposed controversial statements made by religious guru Kalicharan Maharaj against Mahatma Gandhi during the 2021 Raipur Dharam Sansad.