Renu Jogi among 10 women candidates who won in Chhattisgarh polls

A total of 10 women candidates, one less than last time, have emerged victorious in Chhattisgarh Assembly polls where the saffron party is back in power for the third time.

During the 2008 Assembly polls, 11 women candidates out of 94 in fray had won, an election official told PTI.

Among the ten women winners, six candidates are from BJP, while four are from Congress, including former chief minister Ajit Jogi's wife Renu Jogi.

"Ten out of the 85 women candidates fielded in the two-phase Chhattisgarh Assembly polls have registered victory," the official said.

The winners from BJP are -- Champa Devi Pawle, Suniti Satyanand Rathiya, Kerabai Manhar, Rupkumari Chaudhary, Ramshila Sahu and Sarojani Banjare.

From Bharatpur-Sonhat constituency of Koriya district, the ruling party's new face, Champa Pawle defeated Gulab Kamro of Congress by 4,608 votes.

Another fresh party nominee, Sarojani Banjare defeated Thaneshwar Patila of Congress by 4,684 votes from Dongarhgarh seat of Rajnandgaon district.

From Lailuna constituency of Raigarh district, Suniti Satyanand Rathiya won over prominent Congress leader and sitting MLA Hridayaram Rathiya by 14,201 votes.

Kerabai Manhar won Sarngarh seat of Raigarh district against sitting woman MLA of Congress Padma Ghanshyam Manhar by 15,844 votes.

Women candidates have been preferred for the Sarangarh Assembly constituency as no men have won the election there since the formation of the state.

Ramshila Sahu defeated another sitting woman MLA of Congress Pratima Chandrakar from Durg rural by 2,979 votes.

From Basna in Mahasamund district, Rupkumari Chaudhary won against sitting Congress MLA Devendra Bahadur Singh, who belongs to an erstwhile royal family in the region, by 6,239 votes.

Besides, four Congress candidates from the fairer sex outshined men in the election.

Ajit Jogi's wife Renu won in Kota against BJP's Kashiram Sahu by 5,089 votes.

In Dantewada-ST, slain tribal leader Mahendra Karma's wife Devti Karma wrested the seat from BJP's Bheema Mandavi defeating him by 5,987 votes in a multi-corner contest.

Mahendra Karma was among those killed in the Darbha Naxal attack on May 25 this year.

The sympathy factor apparently worked for the main Opposition in the seat.

Anila Bhediya, wife of Deputy Inspector General, police headquarters, Ravindra Bhediya, won from Daundilohara in Balod district against BJP's Horilal Rawte by 19,735 votes.

Congress' Tej Kunwar Netam defeated BJP's Bhojesh Shah from Mohla Manpur of Rajnandgaon district by 956 votes.