BJP scores a hat-trick in Chhattisgarh polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday scored a hat-trick of victories in the Chhattisgarh assembly elections, winning 49 of 90 seats, thwarting the Congress' bid to wrest power after a decade.

Despite a tangible sympathy factor for the Congress in the wake of the massacre of 27 of its leaders and workers, including state party chief Nand Kumar Patel and tribal strongman Mahendra Karma, it failed to capitalise on it beyond the tribal Bastar region.

Of the 12 seats in Bastar, Congress won eight. The BJP had secured 11 of these seats in 2008.

Kawasi Lakhma, the sole Congress Member of Legislative Assembly from Bastar in the last elections and one of the survivors of the Darbha massacre, retained his seat, while Mahendra Karma's wife Devti wrested Dantewada from the BJP.

The defeat of the Leader of Opposition, prominent tribal leaders and several sitting MLAs in the plains rocked the Congress’s boat.

Leader of Opposition Ravindra Choubey, a six-time MLA from Saja, lost.

Prominent tribal leader Rampukar Singh, a 7-term MLA from Patthalgaon, also lost and so did Congress stalwart and tribal leader Bodhram Kanwar.

Similarly, another popular tribal leader Premsai Singh Tekam lost to BJP state president Ramsewak Paikra from Pratappur.

Son of former chief minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh Shyamacharan Shukla and sitting MLA from Rajim constituency Amitesh Shukla too fell by the wayside.

Though Chief Minister Raman Singh scored an easy victory from Rajnandgaon, several of his ministers, including Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar and Deputy Speaker of Assembly Narayan Chandel, lost.

Prominent ministers who lost included Agriculture Minister Chandrashekhar Sahu, Water Resources Minister Ramvichar Netam, Sports Minister Lata Usendi and Panchayati Raj Minister Hemchand Yadav.

A high-profile Congress winner was Amit Jogi, son of former chief minister Ajit Jogi.

Amit trounced Sameera Paikra of BJP by 46,250 votes from Kota.

Veteran Congress leader Motilal Vora's son Arun defeated BJP's Hemchand Yadav in Durg city.

Health Minister Amar Agrawal won in Bilaspur, Housing and Environment Minister Rajesh Munat emerged victorious from Raipur city west, Forest Minister Vikra Usendi won from Antagarh and Tribal Welfare Minister Kedar Kashyap won from Narayanpur seat.