Chhattisgarh assembly election result 2023: Congress continues its dominance in Kharsia seat

Chhattisgarh Assembly Election result 2023: The Kharsia assembly seat has stood out as an impregnable Congress fortress. For the 12th time, Congress maintained its rule. Congress' Umesh Patel secured the seat with 100988  votes.

Since it came into existence in 1977, first as part of Madhya Pradesh and then Chhattisgarh, the Kharsia assembly seat has stood out as an impregnable Congress fortress. For the 12th time, Congress maintained its rule. Congress' Umesh Patel secured the seat with 100988  votes and BJP's Mahesh Sahu came second with 79332 votes.

The BJP has for the first time fielded a Sahu candidate, whose community accounts for nearly 15 per cent of the constituency’s population, seeking to turn the tables in its 12th attempt as it has lost 11 elections there in the past.

In 1977, Kharsia was carved in the Raigarh district covering some parts of Raigarh and Dharamjaigarh areas. It was then a part of Madhya Pradesh. Chhattisgarh was formed in 2000. Nearly 88 per cent of 2,15,223 voters in the Kharsia seat live in rural areas and OBCs constitute about 40 per cent of the seat’s population.

A look at 2018 election results

In the 2018 polls, Umesh defeated BJP’s OP Chaudhary, who had joined the party after quitting the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Chaudhary, who also comes from the Aghariya community, has been fielded by the BJP from adjoining Raigarh seat this time.