Congress dominates Chhattisgarh's worst-hit Naxal area

The killing of Mahendra Karma earlier this year by Left Wing Extremists proved costly for Raman Singh government in Chhattisgarh as Congress bagged 8 of the 12 seats in worst-hit Naxal areas spread over six districts.

The region saw Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi campaigning aggressively as this part of the state is always considered as key to power. BJP had won 11 seats from these districts last time.

The wife of slain Karma, Devati, won from Dantewada Assembly seat defeating his BJP rival Bhimaram Mandavi by a margin of 5,987 votes. Her husband, who was killed on May 25, along with 25 others which included Pradesh Congress Chief Nand Kumar Patel, had contested unsuccessfully from this constituency and stood third while the BJP's Mandavi bagged the seat by defeating Manish Kunjam of CPI.

BJP could manage to retain only four seats -- Antagarh, Jagdalpur, Bijapur and Narainpur -- where all the four sitting MLAs Vikram Usendi, Santosh Bafla, Mahesh Gadda and Kedar Nath Kashyap respectively won. However, the winning margin for the four BJP candidates fell considerably this time.

Bastar constituency saw Lakeshwar Bagel emerging as winner unseating Subahoo Kashyap of BJP by a margin of 19,168 votes. The results in 2008 elections were exactly opposite with Kashyap defeating Bagel by a margin 1,201.

Konta seat was retained by sitting Congress MLA Lakhma Kawasi who defeated Dhani Ram Barse by a margin of 5,786 votes. Kawasi had barely managed to win it last time by 192 votes.

Congress also recorded its win in Bhanupratappur, Keshkal and Kondagaon.