Chhattisgarh: BJP retains Raipur City South assembly seat

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday retained the Raipur City South assembly seat in Chhattisgarh after its candidate, Sunil Kumar Soni, secured a commanding victory in the bypoll.
Soni defeated his nearest rival, Congress’ Akash Sharma, by a margin of 46,167 votes, polling 89,220 votes against Sharma’s 43,053.
The bypoll, held on November 13, witnessed a voter turnout of 50.50%, according to election officials. The BJP’s tally in the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly is now at 54, while the Congress has 35; the Gondwana Gantantra Party has one seat.
Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the victory as a testament to his government’s performance over the past 11 months. “The people of Raipur South have put their stamp of approval on the work done by our government,” Sai said, thanking voters and party workers.
Sai attributed the win to initiatives such as the Mahtari Vandan Yojana, which provides ₹1,000 monthly to women, the paddy bonus scheme for farmers, and the Ramlalla Darshan Yojana, among other welfare measures. “This historic victory reflects the faith people have in the BJP and the guarantees of Modi ji,” he added.
The bye-election was necessitated following the resignation of former BJP MLA and ex-minister Brijmohan Agrawal after he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Raipur parliamentary constituency earlier this year. Agrawal had won the seat in the 2018 assembly elections with a margin of 67,719 votes.
Soni’s victory cemented BJP’s hold in the constituency, as the CM reaffirmed the party’s commitment to deliver on promises made to the people of Raipur South.