Agrawal’s political journey started with the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, later merging into the BJP. He was elected to the Chhattisgarh Assembly from Katghora constituency in 1993 and again in 1998. His tenure included membership in several key committees such as Public Accounts, Questions and References, Housing, and Business Advisory Committees. In 2021, he was elected Deputy Speaker, becoming one of the few opposition leaders to hold that post under a Congress-led government.
Beginning as a Madhya Pradesh legislator in 1980, Mahant held several ministerial roles in the undivided state, including portfolios of agriculture, commercial tax, and public relations. He transitioned to national politics, winning Lok Sabha seats from Janjgir (1998, 1999) and Korba (2009). In the UPA II government, he served as Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing.
Jyotsna Mahant entered active politics in 2019, succeeding her husband Dr. Charan Das Mahant, a senior Congress leader and former Union minister. She won her first parliamentary election that year by defeating the BJP’s Jyoti Nand Dubey by over 26,000 votes. In 2024, she retained her Korba seat, overcoming BJP national general secretary Saroj Pandey by more than 41,000 votes, making Korba the only seat won by Congress in Chhattisgarh during that election cycle.
Mahto was born in Korba district to Dhaniram and Tulmati Devi Mahto. He earned a B.A.M.S. (Ayurvedacharya) degree from N.P. Awasthi Government Ayurvedic College, Raipur. Before entering politics, he practiced as an Ayurvedic physician and was active in local education and social service organizations, including the Saraswati Shikshan Samiti and Kamla Nehru Mahavidyalaya in Korba.
