Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge approved Akash Sharma as the party's candidate for the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly bypolls on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. Sharma will represent the Congress in the Raipur City South constituency, according to a party press release.
He currently serves as the Chhattisgarh Youth Congress president and is a former president of the National Students’ Union of India in the state.
The seat became vacant after Brijmohan Agrawal, the sitting BJP legislator and former state minister, resigned following his election to the Lok Sabha from the Raipur parliamentary constituency.
The ruling BJP has fielded former MP Sunil Soni for the bypoll.
Polling for the bypoll will take place on November 13 and vote counting scheduled for November 23. October 25 is the last day for filing nominations.
In the previous assembly elections, the BJP secured a landslide victory, winning 54 out of 90 seats, while Congress won 35 and the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) claimed one seat.