Chhattisgarh polls highlights: 71.93% turnout; Raman Singh predicts BJP win

Chhattisgarh Assembly Election 2018 witnessed 71.93% voter turnout till 6 PM in phase 2. Track live updates here

Chhattisgarh Election LIVE: Polling for the second and final phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, with voting taking place in 72 constituencies spread across 19 districts, officially ended on Tuesday. Around 71.93 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 6 pm, an official said.    

The voting time ended at 5 pm, but voters were still standing in the queues, waiting for their turn at several polling booths across the state. The voting percentage is, therefore, likely to rise. 

A total of 1,079 candidates, including 119 women, are contesting in 72 constituencies of the state with an electorate of 15,400,596.  

This was the last of the two-phase polls to the 90-member Assembly, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been in power for the last 15 years.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said the polling percentage is likely to rise further as a number of people were still in the queue for voting. He said the polling percentage for this phase is slightly higher than that recorded during 2013 which was 71.13 per cent.

The EC said with Tuesday's polling percentage the total average turnout for Chhattisgarh has been 74.17 per cent, which may go up further. During the first phase of voting on November 12 for 18 seats in the Naxal-affected areas of the state, a total of 76.42 per cent polling was recorded. 

The time of polling was from 8 am to 5 pm, but in two polling booths -- Amamora (booth no 72) and Modh (no 76) in Bindranavgarh constituency (Gariaband district) -- voting was held from 7 am to 3 pm due to Naxal threats, the official said.

There were reports of technical snags in EVMs at some places, which delayed the polling process, he said.

Chief Minister Raman Singh, his wife Veena Singh and son Abhishek Singh, a BJP MP from Rajnandaon district, voted in Kawardha constituency.

State ministers, including Brijmohan Agrawal, Rajesh Munat and Premparkash Pandey, besides State Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and Leader of Opposition TS Singhdeo, exercised their franchise in their respective areas.

In the second phase of polling, extra vigil is being maintained in districts including Gariaband, Dhamtari, Mahasamund, Kabirdham, Jashpur and Balrampur, which are Naxal-affected areas, the official said. 

The counting of votes will be held on December 11. 

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A turnout of 71.93 per cent was recorded till 6 PM in the second phase of Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. 

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The voting time ended at 5 pm, but voters were still standing in the queues, waiting for their turn at several polling booths across the state. The voting percentage is, therefore, likely to rise. 

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At 46, the maximum number of candidates are in Raipur City South constituency, and at six, the least number of candidates are in Bindranavagarh seat. Of the 72 seats, 17 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and nine for Scheduled Castes. 

6:45 PM

The Election Commission has removed a presiding officer and a polling staff of different polling booths in Marwahi constituency of Bilaspur district, after receiving complaints against them.

 

Bilaspur Collector P Dayanand removed presiding officer of Semra polling booth Surendra Kumar Mandavi, and a polling staff of Dhanauli polling station Kamal Kishore Tiwari after getting complaints against them by concerned polling agents, a statement issued by poll officials said.

 

"An inquiry has been ordered against Mandavi and Tiwari and they have been ousted from the polling duty," it said. 

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Polling for the second and final phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, with voting taking place in 72 constituencies spread across 19 districts, officially ended on Tuesday. 

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Voters have taken up the challenge of ensuring a free and fair election in Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh

 

In the 2013 state polls, not a single vote was cast in Bhejji polling booth due to a boycott call by Naxals.

 

Interestingly, the rebels had been more vocal this time and had triggered a series of ugly violence before polling to unleash a wave of terror. But it did not deter Sudha Tati, who along with her other relatives, defied the call and exercised her franchise. And so did more than half the population of the constituency that had an infamous past of deadly Naxal attacks. (Read more here)  

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Chhattisgarh MLAs rake in the moolah, says study

 

Citing the election affidavits of the 69 re-contesting MLAs in the Chhattisgarh polls, the Association for Democratic Reform (ADR) said their declared average assets have risen to Rs 122.9 million from Rs 109.2 million, declared in 2013. (Read more here)  

5:16 PM

Chhattisgarh BJP hands out free phones to win votes

In the state of Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Raman Singh has promised a smartphone in every home -— and he has used the government-issued devices to reach voters as he campaigned in legislative elections, reported the New York Times on Monday. (Read more here) 

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