The second and final phase of polling for the remaining 72 seats in the Chhattisgarh assembly election is underway amidst tight security.
Over 13.9 million voters, including 6.83 million women, will exercise their franchise in 18,015 polling stations to decide the fate of 843 candidates.
The main battle is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has governed Chhattisgarh since 2003, and the Congress.
Today's voting would seal the fate of Speaker of State Assembly and nine ministers besides Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, kin of the Darbha Naxal attack in May and former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi's wife Renu.
Other prominent leaders in fray in the second phase are Home Minister Nanki Ram Kanwar (Rampur seat), School Education Minister Brijmohan Agrawal (Raipur city south), Housing and Environment Minister Rajesh Munat (Raipur city west) and Water Resources Minister Ramvichar Netam (Ramanujganj).
Meanwhile, elaborate arrangements have been made to conduct free and fair elections in 72 assembly constituencies
Around 80,000 officials and over a lakh security personnel have been roped in for conducting the polls.