Key Takeaways
- Turnout was only 15 percent by 11 a.m., indicating a sluggish start to the Chhattisgarh elections.
- IED blast injured a CRPF officer in Sukma district, raising security concerns during voting.
- Naxal groups called for a poll boycott, affecting voter participation in several constituencies.
- The ruling Congress and BJP are locked in a tight race across 20 seats, with 223 candidates vying for votes.
- Vote counting is scheduled for December 3, with over 4.8 million registered voters.
Raipur: A CRPF officer was injured in an IED blast as turnout stalled at 15 percent by 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
This marks the first phase of Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, covering 20 constituencies, including ten in areas severely hit by left‑wing extremism.
Official sources gave the constituency-wise polling figure for Bastar as approximately 10 per cent, Bijapur 9, Mohla-Manpur 17, Rajnandgaon 14, Sukma 8, Kanker 22, Kabirdham 19, Kondagaon 20, Khairagarh 12, Dantewada 18 and Narayanpur 19 per cent respectively.
The officer of CRPF’s elite COBRA battalion was injured when an IED exploded in the restive Sukma district of Bastar division.
Confirming the incident, SP Kiran Chauhan said, “A detachment of the Force’s 206th Commando Battalion for Resolute Action had left Camp Tondamarka and was heading for Elmagunda village to execute an area domination exercise. Inspector Shrikant stepped on the landmine. He has been hospitalised.”
The Naxals have issued a poll boycott call.
The timings for exercise of franchise are 7 a.m to 3 p.m. in Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Konta, whereas the limits are 8 a.m-5 p.m. in Pandariya, Kawardha, Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Bastar, Jagdalpur, and Chitrakote.
Of the total 5,304 polling centres, webcasting facilities are available at 2,431 centres.
The fortunes of 223 candidates, including 25 females, are being sealed in EVMs by members of a 40,78,681-strong electorate that includes 20,84,675 women.
The ruling Congress and principal opposition BJP are in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation in all 20 constituencies, 19 of which are held by the Congress.
The votes will be counted on December 3.
