Announcing the date for the assembly by-elections for the Raipur South seat the Election Commission of India has set the stage for a high-stakes political battle in Chhattisgarh.
The polling for the constituency will be held on November 13 while the vote count is scheduled for November 23.
The assembly seat, which fell vacant following the election of BJP MLA Brijmohan Agrawal to the Lok Sabha, has now become the focal point of electoral politics for the BJP and Congress while finalising their respective candidates.
Following an internal survey, the BJP has shortlisted three candidates to be reviewed by the party’s Central leadership in Delhi. The final decision on the candidature for the seat is expected at any time. According to party sources, an initial list of six potential candidates was narrowed down to three.
On the other hand, the Congress is rallying its forces with nearly a dozen leaders vying for a ticket. However, Pramod Dubey and Kanhaiya Agrawal are emerging as the most likely contenders for the ticket.
The BJP held a crucial meeting late Sunday night at the Kushabhau Thakre Parisar to discuss the selection of its candidate. Attended by Brijmohan Agrawal and other senior leaders, including Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Pawan Sai, Dharamlal Kaushik, Vikram Usendi, and Saroj Pandey, the meeting focused on identifying the most suitable candidate for the upcoming by-election.
BJP insiders disclosed that the party is meticulously considering candidates based on demographic appeal, electoral history, and potential to win the election. The list includes senior leaders like Sunil Soni, Sanjay Shrivastava, and Kedar Gupta, as well as promising new faces such as Meenal Chaubey, Nandan Jain, and Subhash Tiwari. Of these, three names have been shortlisted, and the final decision will be made after further deliberations.
Comprehensive profiles and survey results for these candidates are being sent to the Central Election Committee of the party. The party high command in Delhi is expected to finalise the candidate following which an official announcement to this effect in early November.
The Congress party, meanwhile, is leaving no stone unturned in its quest to stake claim to Raipur South, a seat that has traditionally eluded it. Party officials, led by Media Department Head Sushil Anand Shukla, are conducting an extensive survey, gathering ward-level feedback to fine-tune their strategy.
A nine-member election management committee comprising six former ministers and other senior figures has been constituted by the grand old party. Notable members of the committee are Satyanarayan Sharma, Ravindra Choubey, Mohan Markam, Shiv Dehriya, Jai Singh Agrawal, former PCC Chief Dhanendra Sahu, former MLA Kuldeep Juneja, and Udho Ram Verma.
From a crowded field of aspirants, Pramod Dubey and Kanhaiya Agrawal have emerged as the most prominent names being considered by the party.
Notably, senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot is also closely monitoring the selection process.
Given the shifting dynamics of electoral politics in Raipur South, the Congress party sees an opportunity, especially since the BJP did not appoint Brijmohan Agrawal as a Central minister, a move the Opposition party views as a sign of discontent within the ruling party’s ranks. Nevertheless, the by-election presents a formidable challenge for Congress as its leaders feel the heat of directly contesting against the ruling party with all its influence in the state.
With both parties keen to win this crucial seat the outcome of the elections will significantly influence the state’s political momentum. It will not only test their electoral strategies but also set the tone for future political contests in the state.
The seat was officially declared vacant on June 21 after Agrawal, who had been a long-serving representative of the constituency, resigned from the Assembly on June 17 to take up his new role as a Member of Parliament (MP).