The political contours of the upcoming Rajya Sabha election in Chhattisgarh became clearer this week as both the BJP and the Congress finalised their nominees for seats falling vacant in April this year. The saffron party has fielded senior leader Lakshmi Verma, while the Congress has once again nominated veteran tribal leader Phulo Devi Netam.
The announcements have set the stage for an important political contest in the state Assembly, where numerical strength will determine the outcome. The nominations also highlight the strategic emphasis both parties are placing on experienced leaders with strong grassroots connections.
The BJP’s choice of Lakshmi Verma marks the elevation of a long serving organisational leader with more than three decades of political and social engagement. Her name was finalised after internal consultations in which a panel of seven names was reportedly examined, before the list was narrowed to three contenders, Lakshmi Verma, Narayan Chandel and Dr Krishnamurti Bandhi.
Party sources indicated that Verma’s nomination reflects the leadership’s confidence in her long association with the party organisation and her experience in public life. Political observers also view the decision as a signal that Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s preference has received the approval of the party high command.
Born on 5 January 1967, Verma holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and is fluent in Hindi and Chhattisgarhi. She hails from village Mudpar in Simga block of Balodabazar district and currently resides in Raipur.
Her political career began in 1994 when she was elected corporator from Ward No. 7 of the Raipur Municipal Corporation. She later served as the elected chairperson of the Raipur District Panchayat from 2010 to 2015. Between 2019 and 2021, she worked as an Independent Director at FSNL under the Union Ministry of Steel. Since October 2024, she has been serving as a member of the Chhattisgarh State Women’s Commission.
Beyond electoral politics, Verma has remained active in social initiatives and organisational work. She led the Shakti Mahila Manch in Raipur for over a decade and was honoured with the District Youth Award by the Nehru Yuva Kendra in 1999. She has also served as a member of the District Labour Rehabilitation Committee, patron of the Chhattisgarh Ekta Mazdoor Kalyan Sangh, and counsellor at the Raipur Family Court. Currently, she holds the position of National General Secretary in the All India Kurmi Kshatriya Mahasabha’s women’s wing and the Akhil Bharatiya Panchayat Parishad.
Within the BJP, Verma has been associated with the organisation since 1990 and has held several key roles, including State Executive Committee member, State Vice President of BJP Chhattisgarh from 2021 to 2024, district in charge of Gariaband and state media spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday announced the renomination of senior tribal leader Phulo Devi Netam for the Rajya Sabha seat from Chhattisgarh. The decision by the party high command was welcomed by leaders and supporters across Bastar division and among tribal communities in the state.
If elected, Netam would secure a second consecutive term in the Upper House. She was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2020 and has since emerged as a prominent voice representing tribal concerns from the Bastar region. Earlier, she served as an MLA from the Keshkal Assembly constituency and also held the position of president of the Chhattisgarh Mahila Congress.
Within the Congress, her renomination is being viewed as recognition of her experience and strong grassroots connection with tribal communities. Party sources say her candidature is expected to reinforce the representation of tribal issues and regional concerns of Chhattisgarh in Parliament.
Senior Congress leaders and tribal organisations have welcomed the decision, describing Netam as a leader who has consistently raised issues affecting Bastar and the wider tribal population. Supporters say her continued presence in the Rajya Sabha would ensure a stronger voice for the region at the national level.
With the Rajya Sabha terms of several members expiring in April, political parties across the country have begun announcing their candidates. In Chhattisgarh, the nominations of Lakshmi Verma and Phulo Devi Netam have added a distinct political dimension to the election.