Raipur: The hues of Lok Sabha elections are emerging in Chhattisgarh ahead of Holi. All party leaders have intensified their campaigns. Today, we’re delving into the history of the Raipur Lok Sabha seat. Once a stronghold of the Congress, it’s now firmly in the grip of the BJP.
Reflecting on the electoral history of the Raipur Lok Sabha seat, out of 17 elections held since 1951, the Congress secured victory eight times. However, Purushottam Kaushik shattered this myth of continuous Congress dominance. Following his victory, the seat remained with the Congress. In 1989, BJP candidate Ramesh Bais defeated freedom fighter Keeru Bhushan. Vidya Charan Shukla, a Congress candidate, won in 1991. In 1996, Ramesh Bais defeated Vidya Charan Shukla’s elder brother, Shyamacharan Shukla. Since then, the Raipur seat has become a BJP stronghold. Bais consecutively won Lok Sabha elections in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014. Currently, Sunil Soni represents BJP in the Lok Sabha. Brijmohan Agrawal, an eight-time MLA, has been nominated as the BJP candidate for the Raipur seat. Agrawal, who became an MLA for the first time in 1990, was the youngest MLA in the state.
Meanwhile, the Congress has fielded former MLA Vikas Upadhyay. He defeated Rajesh Munat, a three-time minister, in the elections. The Raipur Lok Sabha constituency comprises nine assembly segments: Baloda Bazar, Bhatapara, Dharsiwa, Raipur Nagar West, Raipur Nagar North, Raipur Nagar South, Raipur Rural, Abhanpur, and Arang. The Kurmi, Sahu, and Satnami communities play a significant role in electing the MP. Caste equations have less influence in North, West, and South Raipur as voters from all strata participate in elections.
Ramesh Bais has been elected seven times from the Raipur Lok Sabha constituency. Bais has served as the Governor of Maharashtra and earlier held the same position in Jharkhand and Tripura. Coming from an OBC background, Ramesh Bais also served as a minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government.
Vidya Charan Shukla, the Information and Broadcasting Minister in Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s government, found his identity through the Raipur Lok Sabha seat. In the 1971 elections, he defeated Baburao Patel, the Jan Sangh candidate, with a margin of more than 84,000 votes. However, during the Emergency, Vidya Charan Shukla lost to Purushottam Lal Kaushik, the Lok Dal candidate, by more than 85,000 votes.
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