Eighteen of 90 constituencies go to into polls today, under the shadow of Maoist threats. Track full coverage of Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2018 here
Chhattisgarh Assembly Election 2018, which pundits are referring to as round 1 of the ‘semi final’ to the general elections next year, kicked off this morning. In the first phase of the polls, 190 candidates are in the fray and as per electoral rolls, there are 31,80,014 voters.
Tight security amid Naxal menace
While voting was underway, an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated by Naxals in Dantewada district. A police official said Naxals, who had called for a boycott of the polls, detonated the IED early morning, but no casualty was reported.Nearly 100,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, have been deployed across the state for the first phase.
These are in addition to the existing paramilitary personnel and 200 companies of state forces engaged in anti-Maoist operations in the tribal-dominated state. Indian Air Force and BSF choppers have also been pressed into service. Polling time in 10 constituencies — Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Konta — is from 7 am to 3 pm, due to the Naxal menace..[Read More]
Prominent faces
Among the prominent candidates in the first phase were Chief Minister Raman Singh, ministers Kedar Kashyap (Narayanpur) and Mahesh Gagda (Bijpaur) and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Kanker Lok Sabha seat MP Vikram Usendi (Antagarh).
Nine sitting Congress MLAs — Manoj Singh Mandavi (Bhanupratappur), Mohan Lal Markam (Kondagaon), Lakheshwar Baghel (Bastar), Deepak Kumar Baij (Chitrakot), Devati Karma (Dantewada), Kawasi Lakhma (Konta), Girwar Janghel (Khairagarh), Santram Netam (Keshkal) and Daleshwar Sahu (Dongargaon) — were also in the fray.
No comments:
Post a Comment