Dongargaon delivered a clear numerical verdict in the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly election. Daleshwar Sahu of INC finished first with 81,479 votes, while Bharat Lal Varma of BJP polled 78,690. The difference between them was 2,789 votes. The result is important not because it offers a shortcut to a future forecast, but because it records exactly how voters distributed their votes in this constituency in 2023.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Vote share | Status |
| Daleshwar Sahu | INC | 81,479 | 47.49% | Winner |
| Bharat Lal Varma | BJP | 78,690 | 45.86% | Runner-up |
| Chhattar Ram Chandrawanshi | HMR | 5,178 | 3.02% | Third major |
| NOTA | NOTA | 2,258 | — | — |
Total electors: 203,009 | Voter turnout: 84.55% | Winning margin: 2,789 votes
How the Dongargaon contest unfolded
The count placed Daleshwar Sahu at the head of the field with 81,479 votes, equivalent to 47.49% of the valid votes recorded in the official detailed result. Bharat Lal Varma followed with 78,690 votes and 45.86%. That produced a gap of 2,789 votes between first and second place. In a constituency-level result story, this top-two gap is the central measure of the 2023 contest: it shows the distance between the two leading candidates on counting day without turning that distance into a claim about another election.
The contest was not limited to the top two names. Chhattar Ram Chandrawanshi of HMR received 5,178 votes (3.02%). NOTA accounted for 2,258 votes. These numbers complete the picture of the constituency because they show how much of the vote remained outside the two leading candidates. They are best read as recorded choices in 2023, not as votes that can automatically be transferred to either leading party.
Turnout and the size of the electorate
ECI voter information records 203,009 electors in Dongargaon and a voter turnout of 84.55%. Participation is part of the result story because it establishes the scale on which the candidate totals were produced. The winner’s 81,479 votes and the runner-up’s 78,690 votes therefore sit inside a constituency where a substantial share of registered electors participated in the poll.
The turnout figure should be kept separate from candidate vote share. Candidate vote share describes a candidate’s portion of votes counted under the official result denominator, while turnout describes participation among registered electors. Keeping the two measures distinct makes the record easier to compare with other elections without mixing different denominators.
What the third-place vote adds to the story
Chhattar Ram Chandrawanshi’s 5,178 votes gave the 2023 result an additional layer beyond the BJP–Congress comparison. In Dongargaon, the third-place total was 3.02% of valid votes according to the result table. Its significance is factual: those votes were cast for Chhattar Ram Chandrawanshi and HMR. Without survey or booth-level evidence, the result itself does not establish where those voters would have gone in a two-candidate contest.
Election Mandi Analysis
The defining feature of Dongargaon in 2023 was the narrow distance between the two leading candidates. Daleshwar Sahu and Bharat Lal Varma were separated by only 2,789 votes, while the third-place candidate received 5,178 votes. That combination makes the constituency’s 2023 record a close-contest result in purely numerical terms. The certified outcome remains Daleshwar Sahu’s victory; any explanation of why individual voters chose a candidate would require evidence beyond the count.
(FAQ)
Who won Dongargaon in the 2023 Assembly election?
Daleshwar Sahu of INC won with 81,479 votes.
Who was the runner-up?
Bharat Lal Varma of BJP finished second with 78,690 votes.
What was the winning margin?
The margin was 2,789 votes.
Who finished third?
Chhattar Ram Chandrawanshi of HMR finished third with 5,178 votes.
How many votes did NOTA receive?
NOTA received 2,258 votes.
How many electors were registered?
ECI records 203,009 electors.
What was voter turnout?
ECI AC-wise voter information records turnout at 84.55%.
Does the 2023 result predict the next Assembly election?
No. It is a completed historical result; a later election depends on a new candidate field, campaign, issues and voter choices.
Sources
Election Commission of India — Chhattisgarh Legislative Election 2023 Statistical Report: Detailed Results; Constituency Data Summary; AC-wise Number of Electors; AC-wise Voters Information. Last verified 24 September 2026.
