The 2023 Assembly election in Sihawa (ST) ended with Ambika Markam of the Indian National Congress on top of the count. Ambika Markam polled 84,891 votes, while Shrawan Markam of the Bharatiya Janata Party finished second with 71,725. The difference between them was 13,166 votes. With 193,736 electors and turnout recorded at about 87.98%, the constituency produced a result whose scale can be understood most clearly through the official vote totals rather than campaign claims.
The winner secured 49.81% of the valid vote reflected in the ECI detailed result, compared with 42.08% for the runner-up. Jeewrakhan Marai of Hamar Raj Party was the next notable candidate with 4,492 votes (2.64%), while NOTA accounted for 3,574 votes. Together, these figures show how the contest was distributed beyond the top two names.
2023 official result at a glance
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Vote share | Status |
| Ambika Markam | Indian National Congress | 84,891 | 49.81% | Winner |
| Shrawan Markam | Bharatiya Janata Party | 71,725 | 42.08% | Runner-up |
| Jeewrakhan Marai | Hamar Raj Party | 4,492 | 2.64% | Third major |
| NOTA | NOTA | 3,574 | — | — |
Winning margin: 13,166 votes | Total electors: 193,736 | Turnout: about 87.98% | NOTA: 3,574
How the contest unfolded in the numbers
The central fact of the Sihawa (ST) count was the gap between the first two candidates. Ambika Markam finished 13,166 votes ahead of Shrawan Markam. The runner-up, in turn, was 67,233 votes ahead of the third-placed major candidate, Jeewrakhan Marai. That separation is important to the story of the 2023 contest because it shows whether the race remained concentrated around two candidates or whether a third force occupied a substantial part of the vote.
The third major candidate, Jeewrakhan Marai, received 4,492 votes. That was well below the totals of the two leading candidates, leaving the main numerical contest centred on Ambika Markam and Shrawan Markam. NOTA, at 3,574, remained a separate recorded choice and did not alter the order of the leading candidates.
Turnout and the size of the mandate
Sihawa (ST) had 193,736 electors on the 2023 roll and turnout was about 87.98%. In a constituency-level result, turnout supplies the scale of participation behind the count: it tells us how much of the registered electorate entered the voting process, while the candidate totals show how those polled votes were distributed.
Ambika Markam received 84,891 votes, a lead of 13,166 over Shrawan Markam. The winner-runner-up vote-share gap was 7.73 percentage points. Those are the clearest measures of the 2023 result. They establish the size of the victory in that election without turning the historical result into a claim about a future contest.
The third candidate and NOTA in the 2023 picture
Beyond the top two, Jeewrakhan Marai polled 4,492 votes and NOTA received 3,574. Their significance lies in the fact that the constituency did not consist only of the winner and runner-up. The final result included voters who chose smaller parties, independents and NOTA, and those choices remain part of the official electoral record.
Election Mandi Analysis
The 2023 count in Sihawa (ST) was led by Ambika Markam, whose 84,891 votes produced a margin of 13,166 over Shrawan Markam. The top two accounted for the overwhelming share of the leading vote totals, while Jeewrakhan Marai and NOTA remained much smaller components of the result. The strongest factual reading is therefore the certified gap, vote shares and participation level recorded in 2023.
(FAQ)
Who won the Sihawa (ST) Assembly seat in 2023?
Ambika Markam of the Indian National Congress won the seat with 84,891 votes.
Who was the runner-up?
Shrawan Markam of the Bharatiya Janata Party finished second with 71,725 votes.
What was the winning margin?
The winning margin was 13,166 votes.
What were the top two vote shares?
Ambika Markam recorded 49.81% and Shrawan Markam recorded 42.08%.
Who was the third major candidate?
Jeewrakhan Marai of Hamar Raj Party polled 4,492 votes (2.64%).
How many votes did NOTA receive?
NOTA received 3,574 votes.
How many electors were registered?
The constituency had 193,736 electors in the 2023 statistical record.
What was turnout?
Turnout was about 87.98% according to ECI AC-wise voter information.
Does this result predict the next election?
No. It is a record of the established 2023 Assembly result; a later election must be assessed with fresh candidates, issues and official data.
Sources
Primary source: Election Commission of India — Chhattisgarh Legislative Election 2023 Statistical Report, including Detailed Results, Constituency Data Summary and AC-wise Voters Information. Result date: 3 December 2023. Last verified for this article: 24 September 2026.
