Meet Mohammad Akbar, The Only Muslim Candidate In Chhattisgarh Assembly Polls Who Faces BJP's Vijay Sharma

RAIPUR: The first phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections, featuring 20 seats in the state's southern region, is currently underway, with voters exercising their democratic right amid tight security measures.
The voting process commenced at 7 AM for ten assembly seats, including Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Konta. The polling for the remaining assembly constituencies, which include Pandaria, Kawardha, Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Bastar, Jagdalpur, and Chitrakote, began at 8 AM and will continue until 5 PM.

Chhattisgarh is undergoing elections in two phases, with the second phase scheduled for November 17. In the first phase, polling is taking place in 20 constituencies, including 12 from the Bastar division, out of the 90-member state assembly.

There are a total of 223 candidates vying for these 20 seats, with 5304 voting booths set up by the election commission for this phase. A significant number of voters, totaling 40,78,681, are participating in this phase. Among them, 19,93,937 are male voters, and 20,84,675 are female voters. Thirteen of the 20 seats in this phase are reserved for SC/STs, reflecting the state's diverse demographics.

Who Is Mohammad Akbar?

Mohammad Akbar is one of the key players and the sole Muslim candidate in the Chhattisgarh assembly elections. He is contesting from the Kawardha assembly constituency, where he emerged victorious in 2018 against the BJP's Ashok Sahu, despite the seat having a significant Sahu population.

High-Profile Contest In Kawardha

The Kawardha assembly seat has garnered significant attention due to Mohammad Akbar's presence. He is currently a minister in the Baghel government and the only Muslim legislator in the state. In this election, the BJP has fielded Vijay Sharma against him. The outcome of the Kawardha seat will be eagerly awaited, with the results set to be announced on December 3.

In the 2018 state assembly elections, Mohammad Akbar secured the Kawardha seat by defeating the BJP's Ashok Sahu with a margin of 59,000 votes. Mohammad Akbar received 1.36 lakh votes, while Ashok Sahu garnered 77,000 votes. Before 2018, the BJP had won the seat in both 2008 and 2013.

In the 2013 elections, Mohammad Akbar contested for the first time but lost to Ashok Sahu by a narrow margin of 2,558 votes. Ashok Sahu secured 93,645 votes, while Mohammad Akbar received 91,087 votes. The 2008 assembly elections also saw the BJP's Siyaram Sahu defeat the Congress's Yogeshwar Raj Singh by 10,000 votes.

Assets And Wealth

According to the nomination forms filed for the 2023 state assembly elections, Mohammad Akbar has assets totalling Rs 2.44 crore in his bank account and cash. His wife, Yasmin Bano, possesses assets worth Rs 3.03 crore. Mohammad Akbar owns 20 tolas of gold valued at Rs 11.8 lakhs and 8.422 kilograms of silver valued at Rs 6.02 lakhs. His wife possesses 197 tolas of gold valued at Rs 1.16 crore and 3.91 kilograms of silver valued at Rs 2.8 lakhs.

Mohammad Akbar also owns a Honda CRV car worth Rs 10.14 lakhs, 27 acres of agricultural land, and a house worth Rs 7.35 crore. As per the affidavit, Mohammad Akbar has inherited approximately Rs 3 crore worth of assets, including a house, shop, and other properties. Additionally, he is the owner of a petrol pump.

The Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections have showcased a diverse and intriguing electoral landscape, with all eyes on the contest in Kawardha, where Mohammad Akbar aims to secure victory once again, making history as the only Muslim legislator in the state.