Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2018 LIVE: In the first phase, 18 seats in Bastar and Rajnandgaon districts saw polling on November 12, with results for all the 90 seats to be declared on December 11.Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2018 LIVE: The second and final phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections began Tuesday for 72 of the 90 seats in the state amid tight security arrangements. With as many as 1,079 candidates in the fray, over 1.54 crore voters, including 77.53 lakh male, 76.46 lakh female and 877 transgender, will cast their votes today. While polling began at 7 am in two of the 19,336 booths, the rest are following the usual time of 8 am to 5 pm. To ensure peaceful polling, over one lakh security personnel have been deployed and extra vigil is being maintained in Naxal-affected districts of Gariaband, Dhamtari, Mahasamund, Kabirdham, Jashpur and Balrampur.
The ruling BJP holds 43 of the 72 seats, with the party sweeping several areas in the Chhattisgarh plains in the 2013 elections. The Congress is confident of consolidating its position and overturning deficits in the plains with farmer anger against the BJP.
There is a third element for the first time in a bipolar state, after Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), former chief minister Ajit Jogi’s Janata Congress Chhattisgarh and the Communist Party of India (CPI) joined hands to contest the polls.
In the first phase on November 12, 18 seats in Bastar and Rajnandgaon districts voted. Results for all the 90 seats will be declared on December 11, along with four other states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Telangana.
Chhattisgarh Congress banking on farmer anger
The Congress is confident of overturning deficits in the plains with farmer anger against the BJP, which has not been able to fulfil its promise of Rs 2,100 support price for paddy and Rs 300 bonus over the last five years. Many in the Congress believe that its manifesto will affect voters, with the promise of a loan waiver within 10 days of coming to power, Rs 2,500 support price for paddy, and payment of the bonus.
Visuals from polling booths in Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh: BJP candidate detained last night
Chhattisgarh: People line up to cast their votes
Jogi-BSP coalition in Chhattisgarh: In a first, state may see hung Assembly
The ruling BJP holds 43 of the 72 seats, with the party sweeping several areas in the Chhattisgarh plains in the 2013 elections. Five years later, the party is banking on the work it has done over 15 years, with its leaders also counting on the Ajit Jogi-BSP coalition to cut into any anti-incumbency votes, especially in the Bilaspur-Janjgir region. In billboards now put up across Chhattisgarh, the party has asked voters to recall the state’s condition in 2003 when the Raman Singh government took over.
Chhattisgarh: Polling began in Pendra
Second phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections begin
Welcome to the Indian Express blog on Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. The voting for the second and final phase of polls began on Tuesday morning.