Chhattisgarh Assembly elections phase 1: The Election Commission has denied reports of EVMs malfunctioning saying rumours are being spread a certain section to disrupt the poll process. According to news agency ANI, the poll body said voting is going on smoothly. Meanwhile, around 20% turn out has been recorded in the first 4 hours in the first phase of Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh. In this phase, a total of 18 assembly seats are going to the polls. The 18 constituencies spread over in 8 Naxal-affected districts — Bastar, Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Kanker, Narayanpur and Rajnandgaon. A total of 190 candidates including BJP’s three-time Chief Minister Raman Singh from Rajnandgaon are in the fray in this phase.
Meanwhile, around 1 lakh security personnel have been deployed for smooth conduct of the polling. According to Chhattisgarh’s Special Director General (Anti-Maoist Operations) DM Awasthi, security personnel, including central paramilitary force, have been deployed to ensure peaceful polling. The Centre has deployed a total of 650 companies, including those from paramilitary units like CRPF, BSF, ITBP and around 65,000 personnel from police forces of other states. These units are apart from existing paramilitary personnel and 200 companies of state forces engaged in anti-Maoist operations.
Also Read: Opinion poll predicts easy win for BJP under Raman Singh’s leadership
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Chhattisgarh elections LIVE Updates: Voting underway amid tight security
The second phase will be held on November 20 that will cover the remaining 72 seats. BJP’s three-time Chief Minister Raman Singh is aiming for a fourth consecutive term in office. Although recent opinion polls have predicted a comfortable win for the BJP, Raman Singh had told The Indian Express that Ajit Jogi’s third front can affect 30 seats and he can’t be ignored.
The voting for the first phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls ended with around 70 per cent turnout. According to a PTI report, the poll panel while giving a break-up of the voting said that a 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, 70.14 per cent in Khairagarh, 71 per cent in Dongargarh, 71 per cent in Dongargaon and 72 per cent in the Khujji constituency. Dantewada witnessed the lowest turnout of 49 per cent. In the first phase, voting was held in 18 of the 90 assembly seats.
Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat on Monday said that the polling in the first phase of Chhattisgarh elections was peaceful. Speaking to ANI, he said: "In comparison to earlier elections, this elections have been singular achievement of the people working in fields. Attempts were made to create fear among people but enthusiasm in voters was appreciable."
The Election Commission has informed that the voting for the first phase of Chhattisgarh elections has ended. "...turnout is 70% till now in the first phase of Chhattisgarh Elections 2018. Figures will be updated later," Umesh Sinha told ANI.
Five CoBRA personnel were injured in two separate encounters with the Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, PTI reported. The incident took place at a forest in Pamed, which is 500 km from Raipur. Informing about the incident, a senior police officer told PTI that the encounters broke out when a group of Naxalites opened fire on a team of the commandos. The security personnel were patrolling the area as the voting was on in the region.
47.18% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm in the first phase of Assembly elections. Nearly 38 per cent electorate cast their votes till 2 pm in 18 Assembly constituencies in the first phase of Chhattisgarh elections Monday, a poll official said. Voting in nine seats of Bastar division and one seat in Rajnandgaon district began at 7 am and will conclude at 3 pm, while in the other eight seats, it started at 8 am and will culminate at 5 pm. "Around 37.61 per cent polling has been registered till 2 pm," the official said. Inputs: PTI and ANI
Nearly 38 per cent voters cast their ballots till 2 pm in 18 constituencies, PTI reported citing a poll official. For the first phase, voting will conclude at 5 pm.
Over 33.86 per cent polling was recorded till 1 pm in the 18 constituencies spread across eight Naxal-hit districts, PTI reported citing the Election Commission. The highest voter turnout was recorded in Kondagaon with 46.04 per cent voting till afternoon.
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.
According to news agency ANI, 25.15% turn out has been recorded till 1 PM in the first phase of Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh. The Election Commission has said that voting is underway in all 18 constituencies in a peaceful manner.
BJP’s Chief Minister Raman Singh is seeking re-election from here. He is pitted against Congress candidate Karuna Shukla, niece of late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A total of 30 candidates are in the fray from here, which is also the highest in number.
The lowest number of 5 nominees each will fight it out in the Bastar and Kondagaon constituencies.
According to news agency IANS, nearly 20% turn out has been recorded in the first four hours of the first phase polling in Chhattisgarh. It said that defying Maoist threats, lakhs of people have come out to participate in the democratic process.
The Election Commission has rubbished the reports of EVMs malfunctioning. The poll body said that certain sources are spreading rumours that EVMs are malfunctioning repeatedly. “This is to clarify that above info is false. Voting is going on smoothly. If at all, any glitches are noticed, issue is sorted out as quickly as possible.”
In a major setback to the Congress only hours before the polls, Congress’s state unit vice president Ghanaram Sahu resigned from the party. This was the second major jolt to Congress within a day, after CPCC Working President and Pali-Tanakhar MLA Ramdayal Uike joined BJP.
Meanwhile, Maoists have called for a boycott of polls. In last 15 days, at least 6 attacks have been reported from different regions including the deadly attack on media professionals in Bastar that left Doordarshan cameraperson dead. However, voters defying their call have come out in huge numbers to participate in the democratic process.
In the first phase, the richest candidate is Devwrat Singh. He is contesting election from Khairagarh seat on Ajit Jogi's Janta Congress Chhattisgarh. He has assets of over Rs 119.55 crore. BJP's three-time Chief Minister Raman Singh is among the top three richest candidates. He has total assets of over Rs 10.7 crore. Singh is seeking re-election from Rajnandgaon constituency. The Congress has pitted Karuna Shukla, niece of late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, against Singh.
A PTI report said that minutes before the polls began, Maoists detonated an IED here that narrowly missed a CRPF foot patrol. Authorities said that IED went off just 700 metres from polling booth number 183 in Nayanar village in Katekalyan area. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
According to a PTI report, polling began on a slow note with about 14% of the electorate casting their votes in the first few hours. While voting in nine seats of Bastar division and one seat in Rajnandgaon district began at 7 am, in the other eight seats, it started at 8 am.
A differently-abled person reaches Chintagupha polling booth in Dantewada to cast his vote in the first phase. Meanwhile, polling is uncerway in all 18 constituencies amid tight security.
According to the Election Commission, 100% polling stations have reported smooth polling with long queues outside. Earlier, there were reports that 53 polling stations out of the total of 4336 reported delayed start of polling due to technical reasons.
The BJP has fielded two incumbent ministers Mahesh Gagda (Bijapur), Kedar Kashyap (Narayanpur). The sitting BJP MLAs who are seeking re-election are Santosh Bafna (Jagdalpur), Sarojani Banjare (Dongargarh).
The Congress has renominated 9 sitting 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) and Daleshwar Sahu (Dongargaon).
In Sukma, an IED was detected near a polling booth in Konta's Banda. Meanwhile, hundreds of voters have queued outside a makeshift polling booth established under a tree, away from the actual polling booth.
According to news agency ANI, 10.7% tourn out has been recorded till 10 am. Although Maoists have called for a boycott, voters in huge humbers have come out to exercise their franchise in all 18 constituencies.
Around 650 polling booth parties were airlifted by helicopters on Saturday to remote areas while other teams were sent via road amid tight security on Sunday. Also, Indian Air Force (IAF) and BSF choppers were pressed into service for the purpose.
The main contest is between BJP and Congress. The state has traditionally seen a straight fight between these two national parties but this time a third front comprising Ajit Jogi’s Janata Congress Chhattisgarh, BSP of Mayawati and CPI is also in the fray.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged people to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise. In a tweet, he requested voters of the state to participate in large numbers in "the festival of democracy". In the first phase, a total of 18 constituencies are going to polls.
According to Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), most number of rich candidates trying their luck in the first phase are from BJP and Congress. It said that 72% their candidates in first phase or 13 each from both the parties have assets of over Rs 1 crore.
After a brief hald, voting has resumed at the Pink polling booth in Kamla College in Rajnandgaon. The voting process was halted due to technical problem in EVM machine.
Voting at Pink polling booth in Kamla College in Rajnandgaon's Sangwari has been stopped due to technical problem in the EVM machine.
According to CEC OP Rawat, nearly 900 polling personnel have been air-dropped from helicopters so that they can reach safely. Over 16,500 polling personnel went by-road. "I think all will be in a position to deliver peaceful elections."
Chhattisgarh's Special Director General (Anti-Maoist Operations) DM Awasthi informed that over 300 IEDs were recovered in last 10 days from Bastar region and Rajnandgaon district. He said that all necessary measures are in place to thwart attempts by Maoists to disrupt the democratic process.
Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said informed that poling is being held in 18 constituencies of Chhattisgarh today. They are Left Wing Extremism affected area. He said that the decision to conduct polling in two phases was taken in order to provide special security in these 18 constituencies. "These 18 areas are kept in 1st phase so that paramilitary forces remain fresh," he said.
According to ANI, 1-2 kilograms of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasted by naxals near Tumakpal camp in Katekalyan block of Dantewada. Devnath, AIG (Anti-Naxal Ops), said that IED was triggered by Naxals on Tumakpal-Nayanar road at around 5:30 am to target security forces. "No harm to security forces and polling party. Party safely reached to Nayanar polling booth No. 183 under PS Katekalyan."
According to an estimate, 31,79,520 voters (16,21,839 male, 15,57,592 female and 89 third-gender) are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase. The Election Commission has set up as many as 4,336 polling booths.
According to an opinion poll conducted by IndiaTV-CNX, the BJP under three-time CM Raman Singh's leadership is likely to retain power in Chhattisgarh for the fourth straight term. It said that while the BJP is likely to get 50 seats in the 90-member House, the Congress is likely to get 30 seats. The coalition of Ajit Jogi’s Janta Congress Chhattisgarh and Mayawati’s BSP is likely to get only 9 seats. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
A total of 190 candidates are contesting elections in the first phase. The state Legislative Assembly has a total of 90 seats. In the first phase, elections are being held for 18 seats. Of the 18 seats, 12 are in Bastar and six in Rajnandgaon district. 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) while one for Scheduled Caste (SC) category.