A daily-wage labourer entering politics and defeating a seven-time MLA may sound like something straight out of a film script. But in Chhattisgarh, it actually happened. In the 2023 Assembly elections, BJP candidate Ishwar Sahu defeated Congress veteran Ravindra Choubey in the Saja constituency of Bemetara district, turning a deeply personal struggle into an unexpected political journey. Sahu secured 1,01,789 votes, while Choubey received 96,593 votes. The victory margin was 5,196 votes.
But Ishwar Sahu's story did not begin with an election ticket or a political ambition. It began with the death of his elder son, Bhuneshwar Sahu, in the violence that erupted in Biranpur village in April 2023. The violence began after a fight between schoolchildren and later escalated into a larger communal clash. Bhuneshwar, who was 23, was killed in the violence, while three policemen were also injured. The situation subsequently worsened, and the bodies of Rahim Mohammad and his son Idul Mohammad were found near the village. Several FIRs were registered and arrests followed in connection with the violence.
For Ishwar Sahu, however, this was not just another incident in the news. It was the loss of his son. A father who had seen his son die wanted the people responsible to face the law. He sought justice and tried to raise his voice through the available political and administrative channels. But as his efforts continued, his frustration grew. He felt that the family needed justice, not just sympathy.
The then Congress government led by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced ₹10 lakh in financial assistance for the family of Bhuneshwar Sahu and said that a family member would be provided a government job. But Ishwar Sahu's demand remained focused on justice for his son and legal action against those responsible. His stand gradually turned his personal grief into a public campaign.
The issue also became politically significant as the Assembly elections approached. The BJP supported Ishwar Sahu's agitation and made the Biranpur violence an important part of its political campaign. Sahu continued to raise his voice, saying that losing his son could not simply be compensated with money and that those responsible should face the law.
Then came the moment that nobody expected. BJP decided to field Ishwar Sahu from Saja against Ravindra Choubey, one of the most experienced Congress leaders in the constituency. Choubey had a long political career and had won the Saja seat seven times. Sahu, in contrast, had no electoral experience and came from a working-class background.
The contest immediately became one of the most talked-about battles of the election. On one side was a veteran politician with decades of political experience. On the other was a man who had entered electoral politics after losing his son and who had spent his life working for a living.
Senior BJP leaders campaigned for Sahu, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also addressed a rally in his support. During the campaign, Sahu's candidature was presented as part of the fight for justice following the Biranpur violence.
But winning against Ravindra Choubey was never going to be easy. The Congress veteran had repeatedly won the constituency and had a strong political presence there. Many believed that an inexperienced first-time candidate would struggle against him.
Ishwar Sahu, however, went from village to village asking people for their support. His campaign was not limited to the tragedy that had brought him into politics. He also spoke about the problems of ordinary people and promised that, if elected, he would remain accessible to them.
Then the counting day arrived.
The result stunned many people. Ishwar Sahu defeated Ravindra Choubey by 5,196 votes. He received 1,01,789 votes, while Choubey received 96,593. A man who had entered the election as a daily-wage worker had defeated a seven-time MLA and entered the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly.
The victory transformed Ishwar Sahu's life completely. What had started as a father's demand for justice had now become a political career. His personal tragedy had taken him from protests and public appeals to the floor of the Assembly.
After the BJP came to power in Chhattisgarh, the investigation into the Biranpur violence continued. The case concerning Bhuneshwar Sahu's killing was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. In a separate case connected to the deaths of Rahim Mohammad and his son Idul Mohammad, a court later acquitted 17 accused, while the case relating to Bhuneshwar Sahu's killing continued separately.
Meanwhile, Ishwar Sahu's younger son Krishna Sahu was also offered a government job in the police department following the change of government. The appointment process became another significant development for the family.
Ishwar Sahu's journey is therefore much bigger than a simple election victory. A man who had no established political background entered public life after losing his eldest son. He demanded justice, continued his campaign despite the odds, received a BJP ticket and then defeated a seven-time political veteran.
His story became a striking example of how an ordinary person's personal struggle can unexpectedly lead them into electoral politics. A daily-wage labourer who once fought outside the corridors of power eventually entered the Assembly himself.
What began with a father's grief ended with Ishwar Sahu sitting in the legislature as an elected representative. His journey from a labourer's life to the Assembly is one of the most unusual political stories to emerge from the 2023 Chhattisgarh elections.
