Former Chhattisgarh Minister and Congress MLA Kawasi Lakhma on Sunday said his party will win with the most seats in the Lok Sabha elections in the state. "I express gratitude to the Congress party for making me a candidate from the Bastar seat," Lakhma added. The Congress on Saturday announced Lakhma as the Lok Sabha candidate for Naxalism-affected Bastar (ST) seat which will vote on April 19. The party has so far named seven candidates in the state, which has 11 Lok Sabha seats. Lakhma, an influential tribal leader, is a six-term MLA and has represented Konta Assembly seat in Sukma district since 1998. He was the Industry and Excise minister in the earlier Congress government in the state. Lakhma has considerable influence in the Bastar region in south Chhattisgarh. The party has denied a ticket to the sitting MP from Bastar Deepak Baij, who is also president of the Pradesh Congress Committee. Baij had lost the 2023 Assembly polls from Chitrakot. The Congress had released its first list for the state earlier this month, giving tickets to former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel from Rajnandgaon, two former state ministers and a sitting MP. The Lok Sabha polls in Chhattisgarh will be held on April 19 and 26 and May 7.

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