Lok Sabha elections 2024: The 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh will see polling in three phases on April 19, April 26 and May 7 as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India. The Naxal-hit Bastar (ST) constituency will be the lone one to go to polls on April 19, while elections will be held in Kanker (ST), Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund on April 26.
The remaining seven Lok Sabha seats, namely Surguja (ST), Raigarh (ST), Janjgir-Champa (SC), Raipur, Durg, Korba and Bilaspur, will witness polling on May 7. The gazette notification for polls on April 19 will be issued on March 20, which will start the process of filing of nominations. The last date for filing nominations will be March 27 and scrutiny of the nominations will be completed on March 28. The contestants can withdraw their name till March 30.
The notification for the April 26 polling will be issued on March 28. Last date for filing nominations will be April 4 and scrutiny will be completed by the next day. The contestants can withdraw their candidature till April 8. Likewise, for the May 7 polling, the notification will be issued on April 12, while the last date for filing nominations will be April 19, he said, adding that scrutiny will get completed on April 20 and candidates can withdraw their names by April 22. The counting of votes nationwide will be held on June 4 as per the EC schedule.
Who is Vikas Upadhayay?
Vikas Upadhyay is ranged opposite BJP stalwart Brijmohan Agrawal, a minister in the Vishnudeo Sai government and an eight-time MLA from two assembly segments of Raipur Lok Sabha constituency. He is a sitting MLA from Raipur City.
Who is Brijmohan Agrawal?
Brijmohan Agrawal is the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) senior leader in Chhattisgarh. He is currently a member of the Chhattisgarh Assembly from the Raipur City constituency. Agarwal won the constituency three times in a row by defeating Congress candidates in 2008, 2013 and 2018. Earlier, Agarwal represented the Raipur Town seat in 1990, 1993, 1998 and 2003. In 2003, he became the Minister for Home, Prison, Culture and Tourism in the first Raman Singh Cabinet.