Nov.11 (ANI)
A Border Security Force (BSF) paramilitary soldier was reported to have been injured in a blast in Bastar District's Kanker region.
On Sunday, two Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel were reported to have been injured in a landmine blast in Rajnandgaon District.
State Assembly polls are being held in 18 constituencies -- 12 in Bastar District and six in Rajnandgaon District.
Chief Minister Raman Singh and three of his ministers are among 143 candidates contesting the polls in the first of the two-phase polls to the 90-member assembly.
In all, 29, 33, 200 voters will be exercising their right to vote on Monday.
Singh is aiming to achieve a hat-trick of electoral wins against the Congress, and is contesting elections from Rajnandgaon, where Naxals injured two ITBP personnel in a blast near the Baldongri polling booth.
Meanwhile in Jagdalpur, a clash took place between Congress and BJP activists, even as voting got underway.
The Congress candidate from Jagdalpur, Samu Kashyap,told ANI that late on Sunday night, cars carrying supporters of BJP leader Santosh Bafna overtook cars carrying his supporters and thrashed them with sticks.
"People with weapons came in six vehicles and attacked us. They threatened to kill us if we didn't leave our neta-giri. We were going around in the constituency. Our party worker called us. We called the police station. Santosh Bafna was in the station. Our driver was hurt very badly," Kashyap claimed.
"I couldn't see if Santosh Bafna was present. I have seen Santosh Bafna's brother," he added.
The Maoists have put up posters calling for the boycott of elections in the state.
In the 2008 state assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 15 of the 18 seats, while the Congress bagged three.
Barely six months ago, Naxalshad 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 and other paramilitary outfits are on high alert and maintaining a strict vigil across the state as well as along its borders with Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Polling in 12 constituencies of Bastar and one in Rajnandgaon district will be held from 7 AM to 3 PM.
At least 85,000 personnel from central paramilitary forces have been deployed on poll duty in the state.
In state capital Raipur, Director General of Police Ram Niwas said all preparations regarding security during the polls have been made.
"The central home ministry has given us guidelines. We have arranged security on the basis of those guidelines. The police forces have also been placed in good number. The micro-level planning has been done well. The CIPF, CRPF and local police are on ground. Ambulance services are present at all polling booths. It is for the benefit of the local people. More police forces are placed in high sensitive zones," he said.
People living in the state said that they were excited about casting their votes.
Ajay Mandal, a local resident, said: "I am feeling good about voting for the first time. Whoever is contesting the elections, if they are working for us, we will be happy. If they take care of our problems, we will be happy to vote for such people."
Another unnamed local resident said: "I am voting for the first time. Everyone must vote. All those who are elected must work for the betterment of the people. There is educational problem here. That must be solved. Also, there must be all round development.
