Ambikapur, Nov 4 (IANS): The Ambikapur constituency is one among the 90 Assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh, and state Deputy Chief Minister T.S. Singh Deo is contesting from there as the Congress candidate.

In the high-profile Ambikapur seat, Singh Deo is in a face-off against his former close associate and BJP leader Rajesh Agrawal.

Chhattisgarh was once a part of Madhya Pradesh and became a separate state in 2000. Since its formation as a new state, Ambikapur constituency has witnessed four Assembly elections.

Singh Deo has secured three consecutive wins since 2008 in the Ambikapur assembly constituency.

In the 2008 election, Singh Deo defeated the BJP's Anurag Singh Deo by almost 1,000 votes. In 2013, he secured a victory with over 19,000 votes, and in 2018, he won by a margin of more than 39,000 votes.

In all three of these elections, Singh Deo defeated the BJP's Anurag Singh Deo.

The last time the BJP was able to emerge victorious in Ambikapur was in 2003 when it fielded Kamal Bhan Singh against Congress' Madan Gopal Singh.

This time, the BJP made a change by fielding Rajesh Agrawal as its candidate.

Rajesh Agrawal was once associated with the Congress and was considered close to Singh Deo.

Fondly known as ‘TS Baba', Singh Deo belongs to the Sarguja former royal family.

Political analysts believe that even though Singh Deo has connections to the royal family, he maintains a direct communication with the public in his constituency and takes a keen interest in resolving issues. Rajesh Agarwal's earlier association with Singh Deo will add an interesting dimension to the competition.