Sunil Soni Takes Oath as MLA on His Birthday : Speculations of Cabinet Position; Amar, Ajay, and Munat Also in the Race

Raipur
After securing comprehensive victory in the Raipur South Assembly by-election, BJP leader Sunil Soni was sworn in as an MLA on Thursday. The oath ceremony took place at the Assembly, coinciding with his birthday, earning him double congratulations from his supporters. Meanwhile, speculations are rife about Soni being considered for a ministerial position.
The Raipur South by-election results were declared on November 23. Soni won by a margin of over 46,000 votes. This election was necessitated after Brijmohan Agrawal was elected as an MP. Interestingly, in the last Lok Sabha elections, Soni was the MP from Raipur, while Brijmohan served as the MLA from Raipur South. Now, Brijmohan is an MP, and Soni has taken over as the MLA from South.

The BJP is reportedly viewing Soni’s victory as a report card for the Vishnudeo Sai government’s performance over the past year. Discussions suggest that Soni may fill a vacant cabinet position following Brijmohan’s promotion.
There are two vacant ministerial positions in Sai’s cabinet, and an expansion is expected in January or February. Several veteran leaders have been considered for these roles since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Prominent names include former ministers Amar Agrawal, Ajay Chandrakar, and Rajesh Munat. Former Union Minister Renuka Singh has also been discussed. Additionally, Gajendra Yadav from Durg and Lata Usendi from Kondagaon are being considered for inclusion in Sai’s cabinet. Speaker Dr. Raman Singh administered the oath.
\Winter Session Scheduled for December 16
The winter session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly is set to commence on December 16 and will continue until December 20. The Assembly Secretariat has released official details, stating that there will be four meetings over five days.
During the session, discussions will focus on financial matters, paddy procurement, government job recruitment, and law and order issues. Both BJP and Congress are expected to hold party meetings to prepare for the session.