9 Out of 13 Ministers in Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress Govt Lose

Nine out of 13 ministers in the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government in Chhattisgarh have suffered defeat in the state assembly polls.

In a stunning upset, nine out of 13 ministers in the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government in Chhattisgarh have been defeated in the state assembly polls. The losses include Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo and Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, both key leaders who were chief ministerial aspirants after the Congress' thumping win in the 2018 polls, and state unit chief Deepak Baij.

Singh Deo Loses by 94 Votes

Singh Deo, who polled 90,686 votes, lost from Ambikapur by a narrow margin of 94 votes against BJP's Rajesh Agrawal, who secured 90,780 votes. Sahu, who was considered a strong contender for the chief minister's post, was defeated by BJP candidate Lalit Chandrakar in the Durg Rural seat by a margin of 16,642 votes.

Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey Loses

Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey also suffered a defeat, losing by 5,196 votes in Saja against BJP's Ishwar Sahu. In Kawardha seat, BJP's Vijay Sharma trounced Minister Mohammad Akbar, another influential Congress leader, by a margin of 39,592 votes.

Other Ministers Who Lost

Other ministers who lost their seats include Shivkumar Dahariya in Arang, Guru Rudra Kumar in Nawagarh, Amarjeet Bhagat in Sitapur, Mohan Markam in Kondgaon, and Jai Singh Agrawal in Korba.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Retains Seat

Despite the losses, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel managed to retain his seat in Patan, while his cabinet colleagues Umesh Patel in Kharsia, Anila Bhendia in Dondi Lohara, and Kawasi Lakhma in Konta also emerged victorious.

State Congress Chief Deepak Baij Loses

State Congress chief Deepak Baij lost in Chitrakot by a margin of 8,370 votes against BJP's Vinayak Goyal. The BJP defied exit poll predictions to register a massive victory in Chhattisgarh by winning 54 seats in the 90-member assembly, reducing the Congress to 35 seats. The Gondwana Gantantra Party won one seat.

The defeat of nine ministers in the Chhattisgarh assembly elections is a significant setback for the Congress party. The losses of key leaders like Singh Deo and Sahu, who were seen as potential successors to Baghel, have raised questions about the future of the party in the state. The BJP's impressive victory, on the other hand, has strengthened its position in Chhattisgarh and will likely have implications for the upcoming 2024 general elections.