BJP Extends Winning Streak in Chhattisgarh Civic Polls, Except for Setback in CM’s Turf

After securing victories in the 2023 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has continued its dominance in Chhattisgarh, sweeping the urban local body elections.

On Saturday, the BJP clinched all 10 mayoral posts and secured a majority in the Nagar Palikas and Nagar panchayats across the state. This marks a significant turnaround for the party, which failed to win a single mayoral seat in the 2019 civic polls.

Congress Struggles, Faces Major Losses

The Congress suffered heavy losses, losing most of its previous strongholds. However, the party managed a consolation win in Kunkuri, where it secured the Nagar panchayat chairman’s seat—notably, Kunkuri is the Assembly constituency of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.

Despite this setback, the BJP dominated the overall results:

• 10 out of 10 mayoral seats in municipal corporations.
• 35 out of 49 chairman posts in Nagar Palikas.
• 81 out of 114 chairman posts in Nagar panchayats.

In contrast, the Congress managed only:

• 8 chairman posts in Nagar Palikas.
• 22 chairman posts in Nagar panchayats.

This marks a stark reversal from 2019 when Congress had won 9 out of 10 mayoral seats and held the led nagar pikas and nagar panchayats.

BJP Celebrates “Historic” Win

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the victory as “historic,” attributing it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the BJP’s governance in the past 13 months, and the trust of the people.

A notable winner in the mayoral elections was Jeevdharn Chauhan, a tea-seller from Raigarh. Sai praised his victory, stating, “By nominating a hardworking tea-seller as the mayoral candidate, the BJP has shown that dedication and loyalty of workers are respected.”

The BJP also reclaimed the Raipur mayor seat after 15 years, with its candidate Meenal Choubey securing 3.15 lakh votes against Congress’s Dipti Dubey, who got 1.62 lakh votes.

Setback in CM’s Constituency

Addressing the BJP’s loss in Kunkuri, CM Sai said, “We respect the public’s mandate and assure that development work in the region will continue.”

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made a minor breakthrough, winning a Nagar Palika chairman seat in Bodari, Bilaspur district.

With this emphatic victory, the BJP has cemented its grip on Chhattisgarh’s political landscape, further weakening the Congress’s presence in the state.