In the Patan assembly constituency of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel and Vijay Baghel have locked horns against each other for many years. While Vijay handles the frontline for the Bharatiya Janata Party, Bhupesh has traditionally held the command for the Congress party. During the 2023 assembly elections, when the Bharatiya Janata Party swept the state and returned to power with a full majority, Bhupesh still managed to defeat the BJP candidate Vijay Baghel from the Patan seat. He secured this victory by a margin of more than 19 thousand votes. Ever since that electoral battle, Vijay has intensified his political and legal challenge against the senior Congress leader.
The Legal Battle Moves Through Courts
Vijay Baghel filed an election petition before the Bilaspur High Court. The petition alleged that during the silence period enforced 48 hours prior to polling in the 2023 assembly elections, Bhupesh carried out a roadshow, which constituted a direct violation of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Seeking relief against this petition, Bhupesh approached the Supreme Court, but his plea did not succeed there. The Supreme Court made it clear that he is fully free to raise all his legal and other objections during the trial in the High Court.
Setback For Bhupesh Baghel In High Court
Following the Supreme Court proceedings, Bhupesh Baghel approached the High Court again, but his application there has also been rejected. Vijay Baghel has challenged his election outcome. The High Court will now proceed with the hearing on Vijay petition. This ongoing legal scrutiny has certainly increased political concerns and challenges for Bhupesh Baghel in the region.
Past Electoral Battles In Patan
Within the political landscape of Chhattisgarh, Vijay Baghel is counted among the prominent leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is known as an expert strategist when it comes to bringing voters out to the polling booths. He first contested an election from the Patan assembly seat back in 2003, but at that time he was a candidate of the Nationalist Congress Party and had to face defeat. Five years later, political equations shifted, and the 2008 assembly election pitted him directly against Bhupesh Baghel. However, this time Vijay was contesting under the banner of the BJP and managed to defeat Bhupesh comprehensively. In the 2013 assembly elections, Bhupesh and Vijay faced each other once again, and victory on that occasion went to Bhupesh.
Vijay Baghel currently serves as the Member of Parliament from Durg. Recognizing his political acumen, the Bharatiya Janata Party fielded him from Durg for the parliamentary elections, and he emerged victorious. He successfully retained this seat in the 2024 general elections as well. Notably, the Patan assembly segment falls directly within the Durg Lok Sabha constituency. Even though Vijay contested against Bhupesh from Patan in the 2023 assembly polls, he ended up losing the seat by a margin of over 19 thousand votes.
Deep Grassroots Presence And Family Ties
Apart from being a senior BJP leader, Vijay Baghel is also related to Bhupesh Baghel as his nephew. He maintains a distinct and strong identity in the grassroots politics of Patan, boasting a deep connection with local residents. The defining traits of his political style include an aggressive stance and a direct communication approach. He aggressively takes up local issues on the ground and stands firmly as the biggest political rival to Bhupesh in the Patan region.
