As the counting of ballots continues for the 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, the political arena unfolds with compelling narratives and tightly contested races. The high-profile contest in Rajnandgaon sees Congress candidate and former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel trailing.

Meanwhile, in constituencies like Bastar, Durg, Bilaspur, Janjgir-Champa, Kanker, Mahasamund, Raigarh, Raipur and Surguja, BJP contenders maintain a commanding lead.

Advertisement

In early counts from Durg, Congress’ Rajendra Sahu secured 25,273 votes, while BJP’s Vijay Baghel claimed 52,260 votes, establishing a formidable lead of 23,987 votes for the BJP. A similar pattern is emerging in Bilaspur, with Congress’s Devendra Yadav trailing by over 22,000 votes. Meanwhile, in Korba, BJP’s Saroj Pandey trails behind Congress’ Jyotsna Mahant by a margin of 8,000 votes, as Mahant steadily gains momentum during the count.

The spotlight intensifies in the much-discussed Bastar constituency, where BJP’s Mahesh Kashyap currently leads over Congress’ Kawasi Lakhma by a slender margin of 1,572 votes. This seesaw battle between the two parties adds an element of suspense with each round of counting, keeping observers on the edge of their seats.

In Mahasamund, BJP’s Rupkumari Choudhary leads by 1,200 votes, as the competition intensifies between Choudhary and Congress’ Tamradhwaj Sahu. BJP’s Santosh Pandey surges ahead of Congress’s Bhupesh Baghel in Rajnandgaon constituency. Meanwhile, in Kanker constituency, BJP’s Bhojraj Nag maintains a substantial lead of 7,900 votes.

Congress’ Jyotsna Mahant from Korba constituency maintains lead, while BJP candidates dominate in Bastar, Durg, Bilaspur, Janjgir-Champa, Kanker, Mahasamund, Raigarh, Raipur, and Surguja. Notably, BJP’s Brijmohan Agrawal leads with over 75,000 votes in Raipur.