Chhattisgarh Assembly election results 2023: Bhupesh Baghel resigns as CM, congratulates BJP for victory

Raipur (Chhattisgarh): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form the government in Chhattisgarh after it trounced Congress in the state Assembly elections winning 54 seats of the 90-seat Assembly.

According to the Election Commission of India website, the BJP has won 53 seats and is leading in 1. On the other hand, the Congress party has won 34 seats, while it is leading in 1 Assembly constituency.

The polling was held in two phases on November 7 and 17 and the voter turnout stood at 76.31 percent, which was slightly lower than the 76.88 percent recorded in the 2018 Assembly polls.

• 10:18 pm

Bhupesh Baghel resigns as Chhattisgarh chief minister, congratulates BJP for victory in assembly elections. "Congress respects the mandate of people in Chhattisgarh; we will review results," he said.

• 07:43 pm

Bharatiya Janata Party's Asha Ram Netam won the Kanker seat in Chhattisgarh by the barest of margins - 16 votes.

• 6:42 pm

BJP nominee Kiran Deo won the Assembly elections against Congress candidate Jateen Jaiswal from the Jagdalpur seat.

• 06:29 pm

BJP's Bilaspur candidate Amar Agrawal was declared the winner in the Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2023.

• 06:13 pm

Congress candidate Vikram Mandavi won the battle against BJP's Mahesh Gagda from the Bijapur constituency.

• 05.40 pm

Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel was leading by around 19,723 votes, according to the Election Commission of India website.

• 5.24 pm
  Union Minister Amit Shah thanked the people of Chhattisgarh for reposing faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. "In the battle of the ballot, every vote counts as the fate of nominees of political parties sealed in ballot boxes and EVMs. Sunday will be a fun day for the people across the country, while it's a do-and-die battle for parties, which toiled day and night, to romp home in the electoral battle. The tribal, poor, and farmer sisters and brothers of Chhattisgarh have expressed their faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and blessed the BJP with a huge majority. I express my gratitude to the people of Chhattisgarh for this huge victory. Congratulations to all our workers of BJPCG, National President JP Nadda, and State President Arun Sao for this victory," Shah said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
• 5.14 pm
  The BJP is now leading on 56 seats while the Congress is now leading on 34 seats. A party needs 46 seats to form the government.
• 4.58 pm
  BJP poll promises in Chhattisgarh: BJP's election manifesto announced by Union Minister Amit Shah included procuring paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal, Rs 500 more than what the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress offers. The party promised to provide LPG cylinders for Rs 500 and also promised financial assistance to poor people of the state under 'Awas Yojna'.
• 4.39 pm
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings as BJP is set to form government in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. In a post on X, the PM stated, "We bow to the Janta Janardan. The results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan indicate that the people of India are firmly in politics of good governance and development, which the BJP stands for. I thank the people of these states for their unwavering support and assure them that we will keep working tirelessly for their well-being. A special thanks to the hardworking Party Karyakartas. Each of them is exemplary! They have worked tirelessly and highlighted our development agenda among the people."
• 4.22 pm
  The leads indicate a big win for the BJP in Chhattisgarh and workers were seen celebrating as Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel kept his seat but lost the state.
• 4.15 pm
  BJP candidate from Patan Vijay Baghel said that people of the state were living in fear under the Congress rule. "I had said that BJP will form the government with a huge majority and that is visible today. Congress' claims have become hollow, that is clear. The BJP has got people's blessings. People were living in an atmosphere of fear in Chhattisgarh and there was a lot of corruption," Baghel said.
• 3.50 pm
  Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Raman Singh won by over 35,000 votes in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon constituency.
• 3.45 pm
  In a closely contested battle, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress candidate Bhupesh Baghel is currently leading in the Patan Assembly seat.
• 3 pm
  Congress candidate Bholaram Sahu won from the Khujji constituency in Chhattisgarh
• 2.33 pm
  BJP leader Sidharth Nath Singh said, "In Chhattisgarh, no one believed that the BJP would form the government there. But things changed when we used the PM Modi 'Guarantee' word. Everyone voted one-sidedly in Madhya Pradesh, and today the BJP is forming the government. In Madhya Pradesh, everyone fought the elections together. That's why we are forming our government there too. We can see the same in Rajasthan. I will also say for Telangana that the BJP is going in double digits."
• 1.55 pm
  BJP is leading in 53 of 90 assembly seats in Chhattisgarh and Congress is ahead in 35 seats as per the Election Commission of India trends
• 1.35 pm
  The misgovernance of Congress is about to end and the lotus will bloom, says Chhattisgarh BJP President Arun Sao as the BJP maintains a huge lead over Congress. Sao said, "Chhattisgarh will move forward on the path of development. Chhattisgarh will get the guarantee of PM Modi. The trends will be converted into reality and we will get more seats than the trends. Those who have looted the state will not be spared. The (CM) will be decided by the MLAs and the central leadership of the party. Very soon we will form the government in the state."
• 1.09 pm
  BJP election in-charge for Chhattisgarh Om Mathur and co-incharge Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to depart from Delhi for Raipur this afternoon.
• 12.54 pm
  In Rajnandagaon, former Chief Minister and BJP leader Raman Singh is leading with 25,700 votes as the eighth round of counting ends.
• 12.45 pm
  Senior Congress leader and Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo was trailing by 8000 votes in the Ambikapur constituency.
• 12.45 pm
  Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is now ahead of his nephew Vijay Baghel, a BJP candidate, by 4262 votes after trailing in the initial trend.
• 12.33 pm
  Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam says, the Congress trailing in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh is the result of opposing Sanatan Dharam. He said, "Opposing Sanatan (Dharma) has sunk the party. This country has never accepted caste-based politics...This is the curse of opposing Sanatan (Dharma)."
• 12.17 pm
  After the fourth round of counting of votes, former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Raman Singh is leading over Congress's Girish Dewangan in Rajnandgaon seat by 13,279 votes. State BJP chief Aryn Sao is also leading in the Lormi seat against Congress's Taneshwar Sahu by 9,106 votes after the fifth round of counting. BJP leader and former minister Ramvichar Netam was ahead in Ramanujganj's seat against Congress' Ajay Tirkey by 4,874 votes. In the Raipur City North seat, former minister Rajesh Munat Agrawal was leading by 4,643 votes against Congress' Vikas Upadhyay Pandey. In the Narayanpur seat, former minister Kedar Kashyap was leading by 3,515 votes against Congress' Chandan Kashyap, as per the EC.
• 12.07 pm
  The Saffron party is leading in 52 of the 90 Assembly seats while Congress is ahead in 36 seats as per the ECI trends.
• 12.02 pm
  According to the latest trends by the Election Commission of India, BJP crosses the halfway mark in Chhattisgarh and takes the lead on 50 seats.
• 11.55 am
  Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader TS Singh Deo is leading in Ambikapur. BJP's Kedar Kashyap leading in Naraynpur by more than 3500 votes. BJP's Khilawan Sahu ahead in Sakti. BJP's Renuka Saruta is leading in Bharatpur-Sonhat, while the saffron party is ahead in Raipur city.
• 11.37 am
  A close contest is seen in Chhattisgarh's Patan constituency. After the fourth round of counting, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel gains the lead.
• 11.35 am
  As BJP takes the lead in Chhattisgarh, former Chief Minister Raman Singh is confident of the party's win. He said, "There is a clear support for the BJP in trends. The anger of people has been reflected in voting. BJP will form the government in all three states with an absolute majority..."
• 11.27 am
  Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel trailing behind in the Patan Assembly seat. Nephew Vijay Baghel, a BJP candidate takes the lead.
• 11.15 am
  Nitin Nabin, state BJP in-charge said that the BJP will form the government with full majority in the state as the Congress only looted the people of the state.
• 10.45 am
  As per the latest poll panel data, the saffron party is ahead with 48 seats and the ruling Congress is on 40 seats.
• 10.31 am
  State BJP President Arun Sao said that the BJP will form the government in Chhattisgarh with a complete majority. He said, "The people of Chhattisgarh are going to give their blessings to the BJP. After going all around the state, we formed a belief, and on that basis, I can say that the BJP is going to form its government with a complete majority."
• 10.20 am
  Union Minister and BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that the saffron party will form government in Chhattisgarh. He said, "BJP will win with a huge majority in Rajasthan. Jadugar ka jadoo khatam ho gaya hai. In MP, the BJP will form govt with a 2/3 majority. In Chhattisgarh, the party will form the govt."
• 10.09 am
  BJP outruns Congress as both the parties are engaged in a close fight. The BJP was ahead in 24 seats and the ruling Congress was leading in 22 seats in elections to the Chhattisgarh assembly, the Election Commission said.
• 9.52 am
  Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader TS Singh Deo extends lead in the Ambikapur constituency.
• 9.43 am
  As per early trends, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is looking to retain power in the state for the second term is leading in the Patan constituency.
• 9.35 am
  Early trends by the Election Commission of India show the Congress leading in three constituencies and BJP in one. The BJP is leading in the Narayanpur assembly constituency. The counting of votes started at 8 am on Sunday, with security personnel maintaining a strict vigil in counting centers in the state's 33 districts.
• 8.58 am
  BJP leader Arun Sao on Sunday said that the Congress party is scared and nervous as the people of Chhattisgarh have rejected it. He said, "Whenever Congress is about to lose, it blames the EVMs and sometimes it blames the Constitution. Congress party is going to lose the elections. The people of Chhattisgarh have rejected them.”
• 8.48 am
  Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and BJP leader Raman Singh said the BJP will form the government in the state with a clear majority. He said that the party will win 42-55 seats in the state.
• 8.35 am
  As the counting of votes begins, Congress leader Pawan Khera says the party will retain power in Chhattisgarh.
• 8.18 am
  Early trends show Congress ahead in the state.
• 8.11 am
  Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel extended best wishes to all candidates contesting in the elections. He took to X and said, "Today is the day of mandate. Salute to Janata Janardan. Best wishes to all the candidates."
• 8 am
  Counting of postal ballots begins in all counting centers across the state where the polling took place on November 7 and 17.
• 7.45 am
  Devendra Singh Yadav, the Congress candidate from Bhilai, offers prayers at a temple as the counting of votes is set to begin.
• 7.25 am
  Previously, the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections were held in 2018. After the elections, the Indian National Congress formed the government with Bhupesh Baghel becoming the Chief Minister.
• 6.38 am
  The exit polls predict Congress having a clear edge in Chhattisgarh with BJP also expected to put up a good contest.
• 6 am
  Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, a candidate from Patan will try his luck for a third consecutive term. Senior Congress leader and Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo and Congress chief Deepak Baij are other prominent names contesting from the party. BJP's former chief minister Raman Singh contesting from Ambikapur and Vijay Baghel are the key candidates fielded by the party.
• 5.30 am
  In Chhattisgarh, the Congress party leaders are on cloud nine, thanks to exit poll results. The results indicate that the Congress government led by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is likely to retain power in the state. According to exit poll results, Congress is likely to keep its bastion safe by securing 54 to 64 seats, while BJP may get between 29 and 39 seats. The polling for the 90 Assembly seats for Chhattisgarh was conducted in two phases on November 7 and 17.
• 5.15 am
  Soon after the exit polls, Chhattisgarh Congress President Deepak Baij exuded confidence in the party’s victory and said that Congress would form government in Chhattisgarh. The Times Now-ETG Exit Poll said that in the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly, Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress will retain power by winning between 48 and 56 seats, while the BJP is likely to emerge victorious on 32 to 40 seats.

It said the Congress is likely to get 46.7 percent of votes, while the BJP is likely to get 43.83 percent of the vote share. The India TV-CNX Exit Poll for Chhattisgarh also said that the Congress is likely to retain power in the state. It said the Baghel-led Congress is likely to win 46 to 56 seats.

• 5 am
  With polling over and result day approaching, Exit Polls on November 30 gave varied predictions for the five poll-bound states. The Exit Polls projection gave a clear edge to Congress in Chhattisgarh. Negating the predictions of the Exit Polls, National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party Dushyant Kumar Gautam said that the party is certain of forming a government in Chhattisgarh nonetheless.

“We respect the predictions of the exit polls. However, the way our workers have performed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are certain of forming governments in Chhattisgarh. Citizens of the nation trust the PM and the double-engine government. BJP will move forward with great force soon,” said Dushyant Kumar Gautam.

It is a neck-to-neck fight between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP in Chhattisgarh. But, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel exuded confidence in winning the state. while the BJP, too, seems to be confident about its victory. However, it remains to be seen which party will emerge victorious in the polls as the results will be out on Sunday.

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