First phase of Chhattisgarh polls tomorrow amid high security

Amid heavy security, 18 constituencies in Naxal strongholds of Bastar and Rajnandgaon, where two ITBP men were injured in a landmine blast today, will go to polls on Monday in Chhattisgarh, marking the beginning of the battle of the ballot in five states considered a semi-final to 2014 Lok Sabha election.
Chief Minister Raman Singh and his three ministers in the BJP government are among 143 candidates contesting from 12 constituencies in Bastar division and six constituencies of Rajnandgaon district with an electorate of 29,33,200 in the first of the two-phase polls to the 90-member assembly.
Singh, who is trying for a hattrick against the Congress, is contesting from Rajnandgaon, where Naxals struck on poll eve. Two ITBP jawans were injured in an IED blast triggered by Naxals when a polling party was heading towards Baldongri booth.

Maoists have put up posters calling for the boycott of elections in the state.
Out of the 18 seats going to polls tomorow, BJP had won 15 while Congress had three in the last election.
Barely six months ago, Naxals had ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in Bastar, killing 27 people and virtually wiping out the entire party leadership, including state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, tribal leader Mahendra Karma who had founded the Salwa Judum and former legislator Uday Mudliyar. Senior leader Vidya Charan Shukla, 84, succumbed to his injuries two weeks later.

Police personnel are keeping a hawk eye in the state and along its borders with Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

"A large number of security force personnel have been deployed across the state. I am very confident of peaceful elections in the state," Chhattisgarh's Director General of Police (DGP) Ram Niwas told PTI.
He said the police have done micro-level planning to ensure violence-free elections.
"We have been getting support from people also who are giving us crucial information related to security arrangements. They have also helped in detection of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from some of the areas," said the DGP.
The time of polling in 12 constituencies of Bastar and one of Rajnandgaon district is from 7 AM to 3 PM.

At least 85,000 personnel of central paramilitary forces have been deployed on poll duty in the state.
The Chief Minister's main rival is Congress' Alka Mudliyar, wife of slain Congress leader Uday Mudliyar.
Raman Singh had defeated Uday Mudliyar with the margin of 32,389 votes.
Devati Karma, wife of Mahendra Karma, has been fielded from Dantewada-ST seat.