Raipur (Chhattisgarh): A significant political battle is set for the Raipur South seat on November 1. The Congress party has selected Akash Sharma, President of the Youth Congress, to contest the by-polls against former MP Sunil Soni, who previously served as mayor of the Raipur Municipal Corporation.
Historically, the Raipur South seat has been a stronghold for the BJP, particularly during the tenure of Brijmohan Agarwal, who remained undefeated until he was elected as an MP. The seat became vacant following Agarwal’s victory.
Interestingly, Akash Sharma had previously sought a ticket for the 2023 assembly elections, but the party chose Mahant Ramsunder Das instead. This time, excitement among Congress members is palpable following Sharma’s nomination. PCC Chief Deepak Baij expressed confidence, stating, “We will fight to win the South Assembly elections and change the history of 34 years.”
Baij also addressed the candidacies of Kanhaiya Agarwal and Pramod Dubey, who purchased nomination forms. He assured that all claimants had agreed to support the party’s chosen candidate. Regarding Sunil Soni, Baij commented, “He has been both an MP and a mayor, but if you ask the local people about his achievements, they will respond you him as the worst Mayor ever. I’ve also served as an MP alongside him, and if there’s a certificate for the most inactive MP, it belongs to Sunil Soni.”
On Monday, a crowd of supporters gathered outside Sharma’s home in anticipation of the announcement, with congratulatory messages flooding social media even before the official declaration.
Prior to the announcement, senior Congress leader and former mayor Pramod Dubey had purchased a nomination form, indicating their willingness to contest if given the opportunity. Ultimately, the party decided on Akash Sharma as their candidate.
The Raipur South seat has seen fierce competition in past elections. Since its formation, Congress candidates have consistently lost, with Kanhaiya Agarwal’s 2018 campaign yielding the closest result, losing by just 17,496 votes. Despite facing anti-incumbency, Brijmohan Agarwal managed to retain the seat. In the 2023 elections, he defeated Mahant Ramsundar Das of Congress by a staggering margin of over 67,000 votes.
