Bilaspur Lok Sabha constituency: Candidates for 2019 LS poll, past results, all updates

One of the 11 parliamentary constituencies in Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur Lok Sabha constituency will go to polls in the third phase of general elections on April 23. The Bilaspur Lok Sabha constituency in Naxal-affected Chhattisgarh covers districts of Bilaspur and Mungeli.

The seat is a BJP stronghold and has been held by the party since 1996. While the constituency was reserved for candidates belonging to scheduled castes from 1980 to 2004, it was made an unreserved seat following delimitation exercise in 2008. Dilip Singh Judeo of the BJP won from here in 2009 elections but he passed away in 2013. In the next election in 2014, Lakhan Lal Sahu won from here by defeating Karuna Shukla of the Congress with a margin of 1.76 lakh votes. 

However, Sahu has not been fielded by the BJP this time as the party decided to not repeat candidates in any of the 11 seats in the state. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has fielded Arun Saw who is facing Atal Shrivastav of the Congress. 

Bilaspur Lok Sabha constituency comprises eight legislative assembly segments: Mungeli and Lormi in Mungeli district and Kota, Takhatpur, Bilha, Bilaspur, Beltara and Masturi (SC) assembly constituencies in Bilaspur district. 

The Congress hopes to win the seat in 2019 after its impressive show in Assembly elections last year. The Congress won 68 seats in 90-member Legislative Assembly. 

The polling on this seat will be held during the third phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 23. Seven constituencies of Chhattisgarh's 11 Lok Sabha seats - Surguja, Raigarh, Janjgir-Champa, Korba, Bilaspur, Durg and Raipur- will go to polls in the third phase. The counting of votes of the Lok Sabha election 2019 will be conducted on May 23.