Ninth time unlucky – Congress fails to breach BJP fortress in Raipur

In the assembly polls past year, the BJP had won each 9 assembly seats wrong the Raipur Lok Sabha constituency, and this triumph helped the enactment support its cleanable expanse and solidify its grip connected municipality voters successful the authorities capital.

The spot was perceived arsenic a litmus trial for the enactment arsenic it is the archetypal clip since 1990 that it fielded a caller MLA face. Senior BJP person Brijmohan Agrawal (65) had won the assembly spot successful past year’s polls for an eighth consecutive time. However, helium vacated the spot connected instructions of elder enactment leaders and contested the Raipur Lok Sabha spot earlier this year, which helium won with a grounds margin, necessitating the bypolls.

The BJP had to find a look who could clasp the seat, and they chose to spell with a antheral of Agrawal’s prime – Soni, his assemblage friend.

The Congress tried exploiting the choice, with erstwhile main curate Bhupesh Baghel calling Soni an unpopular person who BJP workers were unhappy with.

The absorption besides tried pitching a overmuch younger Sharma arsenic a caller alternative. Campaigning for Sharma, Baghel and All India Congress Committee Chhattisgarh in-charge Sachin Pilot besides spoke astir the deteriorating instrumentality and bid successful the state.

On the different hand, the BJP stressed connected manifesto promises it had besides made successful past year’s Assembly polls, particularly the Mahatari Vandan Yojna, a authorities strategy wherever joined women nether definite criteria get Rs 1,000 done nonstop slope transfers each month. There are astir 2.71 lakh voters successful the Assembly segment, including 1.37 lakh women.

However, neither enactment could make capable enthusiasm among metropolis voters, and determination was a 10% driblet successful turnout, with the voting percent down to 50.5%.

Still, governmental observers credited BJP enactment workers for managing to get voters to polling booths, thing the Congress failed to match.

Another origin that worked for the BJP was their organisational strength, wherein sitting MPs and ministers were designated enactment for the campaign.

After the result, Agrawal told the media, “For the past 35 years, the spot shown by the radical of Raipur southbound continues to beryllium with us. Big leaders who made large promises are biting dust. People present person proven the spot was, is and volition beryllium a BJP fortress.”

Soni said, “I volition not interruption the spot of the nationalist successful the BJP and I committedness to enactment unneurotic connected the way of development.”

The Congress accepted the decision but said it managed to amended its ballot share. Chhattisgarh Congress communications caput Sushil Anand Shukla said, “The effect is not arsenic expected but our party, workers and leaders fought the elections unitedly. Our combat successful nationalist involvement volition continue.”

In December 2023, the BJP had travel to powerfulness successful the authorities by winning 54 retired of 90 seats. The enactment took implicit from the Congress, which had dethroned BJP aft 3 presumption successful power.