Raipur: Despite impressive gains, the opposition Congress today failed to dislodge the BJP government from power in the Chhattisgarh assembly election, as a see-saw battle ensued for most part of the day.
Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh's government scraped through with a slender majority, trends and results show.
In the latest trends tally, the BJP won 49 seats, four more than the halfway mark in the 90-member assembly. The Congress which had established a lead over 46 seats initially, had to be contnt with 39 seats, with two seats going to the Bahujan Samaj Party.
In Bastar region, out of total 12 seats, Congress has won eight and BJP four seats, out of 14 seats in Sarguja, Congres and BJP won seven seats each, out of 24 seats in Bilaspur, BJP won 12, Congress 11 and the lone seat went to BSP, In Raipur, BJP won 15, Congress 4 and independent one, while in Durg, BJP won 11 seats and the Congress 9.
Dr Raman Singh has broken the myth that the party that wins Bastar forms the government in Raipur. The Congress clearly got the sympathy vote for the massacre of its leaders by Maoists, with Dehuti Karma, widow of late Mahendra Karma winning from his constituency.
In Kondagaon, Congress candidate Mohan Markaam defeated BJP minister Lata Usendi.
Five BJP ministers, Ramvichar Netam, Chandrashekhar Sahu, Lata Usendi, Hemchandra Yadav and Nankiram Kanwar and assembly speaker Dharamlal Kaushik lost the elections because of arrogance and their personal image.
Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh agreed that some of his good batsmen fell hit wicket.
While Raman Singh's face created an impression among voters, the Congress caught in groupism was even unable to announce its chief ministerial candidate.
Even the state Congress chief Charandas Mahant has admitted to sabotage, but he didn't name any party leader.
Infighting in the Congress will definitely affect the party's fortunes in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
27 Congress MLAs and 21 BJP MLAs lost the election this time.
9 pm: Slain Chhattisgarh PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel's son Umesh wins Kharsia constituency defeating BJP's Jawaharlal Naik by a margin of 38,888 votes.
