Chhattisgarh election 2023: BJP surges ahead of Congress

BJP workers and supporters outside the party headquarters during counting of votes for the Rajasthan Assembly elections, in Jaipur, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. Counting of votes began on Sunday for the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana elections. PTI Photo

The Bharatiya Janata Party has surged ahead of Congress in Chhattisgarh, leading in 54 of the 90 assembly seats, as per latest information available with the Election Commission.

In Patan, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel of Congress was leading over BJP's Vijay Baghel by 164 votes after four rounds of counting of votes. There will be 18 rounds, newswire PTI reported quoting a poll official.

Chhattisgarh Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu was trailing in Durg Rural seat by 1,365 votes against BJP's Lalit Chandrakar after first round of counting of votes.

State Congress chief Deepak Baij was behind by 518 votes against BJP's Vinayak Goyal in Chitrakot seat.

Chhattisgarh assembly speaker Charan Das Mahant was also trailing in Sakti seat by 897 votes against BJP's Khilawan Sahu.

State minister Guru Rudra Kumar, an influential SC community leader, was trailing in Nawagarh seat by 660 votes against BJP's former minister Dayaldas Baghel.

In Kawardha seat, minister Mohammad Akbar was trailing by 1,534 votes against BJP's Vijay Sharma.

Chhattisgarh minister Shivkumar Dahariya was trailing in Arang seat by 1,700 votes against BJP's Guru Khushwant Saheb.

In Korba seat, minister Jai Singh Agrawal was trailing by 837 votes against BJP's Lakhanlal Dewangan.

Also read: Telangana election results: Congress surges ahead of ruling BRS, CM KCR trailing in Kamaraeddy

In the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly, the Congress has 71 members, BJP 13, JCC (J) 3 and BSP 2 while one seat is lying vacant.

Counting of votes in elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly started at 8 am on Sunday, with security personnel maintaining a strict vigil in counting centres in the state's 33 districts, including those affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), a poll official said.

The elections were held in two phases on November 7 and 17. Voter turnout stood at 76.31 per cent.

Meanwhile, with the trends giving the BJP a lead in three states in the assembly polls, the party on Sunday said people have endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and rejected the Congress' false promises.

Results show that people accept Prime Minister Modi's "guarantee of delivering on guarantees", Union minister and the BJP's poll in-charge for Rajasthan Pralhad Joshi said.

The BJP has been pitching "Modi's guarantee" as a counter to the Congress' plank of welfare guarantees.

On when the name of the new chief minister of Rajasthan will be decided, Joshi said it will happen "very soon and smoothly".

BJP leader from Rajasthan and Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's 'magic' has not worked in the desert state.

On the poll results in Telangana where the Congress was set to emerge victorious, Joshi said the party benefitted from anti-incumbency against the BRS and that the BJP needs to grow further there.

Joshi, who holds the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio in the Union cabinet, said if the opposition disrupts Parliament's upcoming Winter session starting Monday, it will face worse results than what has come today. (With inputs from agencies)