Chhattisgarh Assembly elections: 70 per cent turnout in phase one; 5 commandos injured in encounters with Naxals

Background

Chattisgarh Assembly Election 2018: Chhattisgarh is undergoing elections for 10 out of 18 assembly constituencies in the first phase, to be the first of the five poll-bound states to go to polls, amid constant naxal threats. The 18 seats which are going to poll today are of the southern part of the state, which are Naxal affected areas . Voting began for the first phase of Chhattisgarh elections under a tight security blanket comprising over 1.25 lakh police and paramilitary personnel. Of the 18 seats going to polling in the first phase, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) while one is for Scheduled Caste (SC) category.  The second phase of polls will see voting in 72 seats on November 20. In the first phase, 190 candidates are in the fray and as per electoral rolls, there are 31,80,014 voters. Women voters outnumber men for the first phase of polling, with 16,22,492 female voters on the rolls against 15,57,435 men. There are 87 third gender voters as well. As many as 4,336 polling booths have been set up for the first phase and 19,079 polling personnel have been deployed.


Prominent candidates: Among the prominent candidates who will try their electoral luck are Chief Minister Raman Singh, state ministers Kedar Kashyap (Narayanpur) and Mahesh Gagda (Bijpaur), as well as BJPs Kanker Lok Sabha MP Vikram Usendi (Antagarh). In the first phase, the prestige of nine sitting Congress MLAs -Manoj Singh Mandavi (Bhanupratappur), Mohan Lal Markam (Kondagaon), Lakheshwar Baghel (Bastar), Deepak Kumar Baij (Chitrakot), Devati Karma (Dantewada), Kawasi Lakhma (Konta), Girwar Janghel (Khairagarh), Santram Netam (Keshkal) and Daleshwar Sahu (Dongargaon) is at stake.

19:16 PM (IST)  •  12 Nov 2018

Around 70 per cent voter turnout was registered in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls. A voter turnout of 61.47 per cent was recorded in Kondagaon, 63.51 per cent in Keshkal, 62 per cent in Kanker, 58 per cent in Bastar, 49 per cent in Dantewada, 70.14 per cent in Khairagarh, 71 per cent in Dongargarh, 71 per cent in Dongargaon and 72 per cent in the Khujji constituency.

18:38 PM (IST)  •  12 Nov 2018

Voting has ended, turnout is 70% till now in the first phase of #ChhattisgarhElections2018. Figures will be updated… https://t.co/MCQrPHYz9Q

17:08 PM (IST)  •  12 Nov 2018

A total of 56.58 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 4.30 pm in the first phase of Chhattisgarh assembly elections including 61.47 per cent in Kondagaon; 63.51 per cent in Keshkal; 62 per cent in Kanker; 58 per cent in Bastar; 49 per cent in Dantewada; 60.5 per cent in Khairagarh; 64 per cent in Dongargarh; 65.5 per cent in Khujji.

17:08 PM (IST)  •  12 Nov 2018

56.58% voter turnout recorded till 4.30 pm in the first phase of #ChhattisgarhAssemblyElections2018 including 61.4… https://t.co/7ynIWRIE9G

15:50 PM (IST)  •  12 Nov 2018

47.18 per cent voter turnout recorded till 3 pm. A thick security blanket comprising over 1.25 lakh police and paramilitary personnel was thrown across the 18 constituencies as they fall under the Naxal-hit areas of Bastar, Kanker, Sukma, Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur, Kondagaon and Rajnandgaon districts.