Chhattisgarh Election 2023: First phase polling for 20 seats on November 7, a look at key battles

A total of 223 candidates, including 25 women, are in the fray in the first phase.

Many top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, including former CM Raman Singh from Rajanandgaon and Congress state president Deepak Baij from Chitrakot, are in the fray in the first phase.

Here is a look at the key battles among the prominent candidates in the first phase.

A total of 29 candidates are contesting from this high-profile constituency. However, all eyes are on former CM Raman Singh, who has retained the seat since 2008. Raman Singh will be facing Congress leader Giris Devangan, who is the chairman of the State Mineral Development Corporation.

Sitting MLA and former state Congress president Mohan Markam is contesting from Kondagaon and seeking re-election.

He will be facing the BJP’s Lata Usendi, who was recently elevated as the BJP’s state vice-president. In the 2018 polls, Markam defeated Usendi with a margin of 1,786 votes.

Chhattisgarh Congress President and MP Deepak Baij is contesting against the BJP leader Vinayak Goyal in this constituency. MP Baij is contesting for a third consecutive win from the seat this time. He won from here in 2013 and 2018. The tribal-dominated seat has been a Congress stronghold and the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to register a victory this time.

The Konta Assembly seat, located in the Naxal-affected Sukma district, has drawn the attention of political analysts as Industry and Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma is contesting from here. He has retained the seat for five consecutive times since 1998. This time he is contesting against BJP leader Soyam Muka and CPI-M’s former MLA Manish Kunjam.

BJP heavyweight and former minister Kedar Kashyap is contesting from this seat against Chandan Kashyap. Kedar Kashyap won this seat in 2013, but he lost it in 2018 to Chandan Kashyap, who secured a victory with a margin of 2,647 votes.