Chhattisgarh Elections: 76.35% Average Voter Turnout for 2 Phases

A total of 76.35 percent of the over 1.85 crore electors cast their votes in the two phases of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. The figure is slightly less as compared to the last elections in 2013, when 77.40 percent of the voters had exercised their franchise.

Polling concluded in the second phase of the state elections for 72 seats on Tuesday, 20 November, with 76.34 percent voter turnout being recorded.

For the first phase, the voter turnout was 76.39 percent.

The Assembly election in the state is being seen as a three-way contest, with the ruling BJP wrestling it out with the opposition Congress and the Ajit Jogi-Mayawati-led alliance emerging as a formidable third front.

Five years ago, nearly all Congress leaders died in a Naxal attack in Chhatisgarh’s Bastar area. Find out what Devti Karma, wife of one of the slain leaders Mahendra Karma and Congress’s candidate from Dantewada says about Naxals

‘Cockfights’ are a major attraction of the weekly markets in the villages of Chhattisgarh. Who is better placed to win the battle to Raipur’s hot seat?

In the 4 elections that Chhattisgarh has witnessed so far, it has largely been a face off between the BJP and Congress. However, this time with Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) Mayawati joining hands with Congress rebel and Janta Congress Chhattisgarh Chief Ajit Jogi, the stage could well be set for a three-way contest .

Preparations are underway ahead of the first phase of voting on Monday, 12 November in Bastar and Dantewada.

Security has been heightened in Rajnandgaon ahead of the first phase of voting on Monday, 12 November.

In a major setback to the Congress party only hours before the first phase of elections in Chhattisgarh, state Congress vice president Ghanaram Sahu resigned from the party on Sunday, 11 November.

(Source: ANI)

In the first phase of voting in the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, polling will be conducted from 7 am to 3 pm in 10 constituencies, the Election Commission said.

Meanwhile, in five constituencies of Rajnandgaon and three constituencies of Bastar, polling will be held from 8 am to 5 pm.

Around one lakh security personnel have reportedly been deployed for the first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh.

Detailing the security preparations in Dantewada district, SP A Pallav said:

Naxals have triggered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast near Tumakpal camp in Katekalyan block in Dantewada, reported ANI.

Speaking to ANI, Devnath, AIG, Anti-Naxal Operations, said, “IED was triggered by Naxals at around 5:30 am to target security forces. However, no harm to security forces and polling party has happened. Party has safely reached Nayanar polling booth No. 183.”

A 100-year-old woman reached a polling station in Sukma’s Dornapal to cast her vote in the first phase of elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter urging the public to vote.

Speaking to ANI, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) OP Rawat said, “Polling is being held in 18 constituencies of Chhattisgarh, they are Left Wing Extremism affected area. Nearly 900 polling personnel have been air-dropped from helicopters so that they can reach safely. Over 16,500 polling personnel went by road. I think all will be in a position to deliver peaceful elections.”

Voting had stopped at the pink polling booth in Kamla College, in Rajnandgaon's Sangwari due to some technical problem in the electronic voting machine (EVM).

PM Modi has left from his official residence for Chhattisgarh, where he is scheduled to address a public rally in Bilaspur.

Speaking to ANI, Congress leader, Jaiveer Shergill attacked Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and his government in the state and said that after the results on 11 December, Singh will be “workless”.

According to the Election Commission of India, “53 polling stations out of the total of 4,336 reported delayed start of polling due to technical reasons. However, 100 percent polling stations have reported smooth polling with long queues outside.”

Voting underway in interior areas of Kistaram, Palem and Bejji in Naxal-affected Sukma district.

Three IEDs have been detected near a polling booth in Banda in Sukma, reported ANI. CRPF and bomb disposal squad are in the process of defusing the IEDs.

Voters queued outside a makeshift polling booth established under a tree, away from the actual polling booth.

A differently-abled person reaches Chintagupha in Dantewada polling booth to cast his vote in the first phase of elections.

10.7 percent voter turnout recorded till 10 am in the first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh, reported ANI.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has urged voters to vote in the first phase of the Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh.

The interiors of Bastar have recorded a voter turnout of 20 percent, says the Election Commission.

16.24 percent voter turnout recorded till 11:30 am in the first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh.

Voters in Jagdalpur’s Gandhi Nagar ward protest outside the polling centre alleging their names are not on the voting list.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a rally in Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh.

Bilaspur will be going to polls on 20 November in the second phase of Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh.

The Election Commission issued a statement claiming that voting is going on smoothly in Chhattisgarh.

22.50 percent voter turnout recorded till 12:00 pm in the first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh.

Encounter underway between security forces and Naxals in Bijapur’s Pamed area, reported news agency ANI. The encounter broke out at 12:20 pm.

25.15 percent voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in the first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh.

After an encounter broke out between the security forces and the Naxals, Congress attacked the PM Modi and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh for maintaining silence.

Rajnandgaon records the highest voter turnout till 1 pm with 52 percent in Mohala-Manpur constituency.

33.86 percent voter turnout recorded till 1:30 pm in the first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh.

37.61 percent voter turnout has been recorded in Rajnandgaon district and 7 districts of Bastar till 2:00 pm.

People in Dantewada's Madenda village cast their votes even after threat from the Naxals to cut their fingers if the ink mark is seen on their fingers.

Locals told ANI, “There are 263 registered voters in the village and many are voting even after the threat.”

In the first phase of the elections in Chhattisgarh, 47.18 percent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm.

Security forces defused a IED detected on the road leading to Dwarapara polling booth, under PS Bairamgarh in Bijapur, ANI reported.

Three more personnel of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) are injured and around five Naxals are dead in the encounter that broke out between security forces and Naxals in Bijapur's Pamed area on Monday. All the CoBRA personnel are out of danger.

56.58 percent voter turnout recorded till 4.30 pm in the first phase including 61.47 percent in Kondagaon, 63.51 percent in Keshkal, 62 percent in Kanker, 58 percent in Bastar, 49 percent in Dantewada, 60.5 percent in Khairagarh, 64 percent in Dongargarh and 65.5 percent in Khujji.

Ghanaram Sahu, former Chhattisgarh Congress vice president joins Bharatiya Janata BJP in presence of party chief Amit Shah. Shahu had resigned from the Congress on Sunday.

BJP chief Amit Shah, while addressing a rally in Durg, thanked the voters for a “record break” turnout in the first phase. He also slammed the Congress for allegedly supporting Naxals in the state.

“Rahul Gandhi and his party dubs the Naxal movement as a revolution. He should answer why the people of Chhattisgarh were not given their due rights while the Congress was in power,” he said.

Polling for all 18 constituencies in the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections concluded on Monday, 12 November.

Polling for all 18 constituencies in the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections concluded on Monday, 12 November with 70 percent voter turnout, Election Commission officer Umesh Sinha said. He further said that the percentage will be updated and might be higher.

According to the EC, only one percent of EVMs and 1.9 percent VVPATs were changed in the course of the elections.

Two Maoists have been killed in an encounter with security forces in Sukma, ANI reported. Two rifles also recovered from them.

Chief Election Commisioner said that polling in the first phase of Chhattisgarh elections was peaceful compared to the earlier elections.

“Polling was peaceful. In comparison to earlier elections, this elections have been singular achievement of the people working in fields. Attempts were made to create fear among people but enthusiasm in voters was appreciable,” said Rawat.

As the state of Chhattisgarh gears up for the second phase of polling, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP of stealing ‘wealth of Chhattisgarh’, while directly attacking CM Raman Singh and PM Modi for stealing its people’s money.

The statements were made during a rally in Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh.

Reiterating points from Congress’ Chhattisgarh manifesto, Gandhi added that once the party comes to power, it will work towards loan-waivers and providing free medical facilities.

Speaking on Rafale and demonetisation, Gandhi further said that demonetisation was a way for the PM to steal people’s money and give it to big corporates.

“Did you see a single wealthy businessman standing in the cue during notebandi? That's because all the money that PM stole from the people was given to his corporate friends,” he said.

76.28 percent voter was turnout recorded in the first phase of Chhattisgarh assembly elections, ANI reported.

Speaking to ANI, P Sundarraj, DIG Anti-Naxal Ops said, “Four BSF jawans, one DRG and one civilian injured in IED blast in Bijapur Ghatti (7 kms from Bijapur). All injured have been admitted to a hospital in Bijapur.”

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh’s Bhilai before the second phase of the state elections.

Taking a fresh jibe at Congress party, PM Modi in a rally in Ambikapur on Friday said that the opposition is having sleepless night since the day a "chai-wala" took over the office.

"People think that the right to give speech at the Red Fort belongs to the one family." Modi added in his speech.

He also added that the PM will believe in Nehru's Democratic System if Congress appoints an ‘outsider’ party president

Campaigning for the second phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections concluded on Sunday, 18 November. Voting for 72 constituencies will be held on 20 November.

Addressing a rally in poll-bound Chhattisgarh on Sunday, 18 November Chief Minister Raman Singh slammed Congress president Rahul Gandhi saying that he had lost 26 elections out of 28 conducted since 2013 in the country.

"Since 2013, 28 elections have taken place in the country, out of which he (Rahul Gandhi) has lost 26 of them. The Congress party tries to copy the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but they forget that even for copying one would needs brains."

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and his two family members, IAS-turned-politician OP Choudhry and Sarguja's former royal TS Singh Deo – there are many high-profile candidates whose fate would be sealed in the second phase of polling in this tribal-dominated state on Tuesday, 20 November.

On 20 November, voting will take place in Kawardha, the home district of Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Singh is a registered voter in Kawardha, but contests polls from Rajnandgaon, where voting took place in the first phase of polls for 18 seats on 12 November.

"We are expecting a pro-incumbency vote in the second phase also and people will come out in huge numbers this time also to vote for the BJP. We will definitely be coming back to power for the record fourth-time in a row," Singh told PTI on Monday.

Ajit Jogi is contesting from Marwahi, his wife Renu Jogi from Konta and his daughter-in-law, Richa Jogi from Akaltara on a BSP ticket. Jogi's new political outfit, Janata Congress Chhattisgarh is contesting polls in alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party.

Apart from them, the fate of 10 ministers is also at stake in the second phase of polling. These include Brijmohan Agrawal (Raipur South), Amar Agrawal (Bilaspur) and Rajesh Munat (Raipur West) among others.

Mock polling being conducted at a polling station in Surguja's Ambikapur. Voting for the second phase of Chhattisgarh Elections 2018 will begin at 8 am on Tuesday, 20 November. 72 constituencies spread across 19 districts are undergoing polling.

(Source: ANI)

The voting for the second and final phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections began on Tuesday. The second phase of polling is being held in 72 seats spread across 19 districts, out of the 90-member Assembly.

Of 72 seats, the polling for two constituencies Amaamora and Modh is being held from 7 am to 3 pm while voting in the remainder of the constituencies will take place from 8 am to 5 pm.

Voting for the second phase on 72 seats in 19 districts of Chhattisgarh of the state commences at 8 am.

Security has been tightened in the state with the deployment of over one lakh security personnel in lieu of Naxal attacks. As many as 1,079 candidates, including 72 each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, are in the fray to test their fortune in the final phase. A total of 19,296 polling booths have been set up for the second phase.

In the final phase, polling is also being held in Kawardha constituency, the home city of incumbent Chief Minister Raman Singh.

(Source: ANI)

Up till 10 am, 12.54% voting has been recorded in the second phase, reported ANI.

PM Narendra Modi took to Twitter to urge people from Chhattisgarh to go and cast their votes.

BJP Chief Amit Shah and and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivrajsingh Chauhan also tweeted their encouragement.

Congress has alleged faulty Electronic Voting Machines are being deployed in their strongholds in Chhattisgarh, reported News18. National Spokesperson of the Congress PL Punia will be meeting the Election Commission over this.

According to the Twitter handle of Chhattisgarh Chief Election Officer (CEO), 25.2% voting had been recorded up till 12:30 pm in the afternoon.

Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh cast his vote at a polling booth in Kawardha, reported ANI.

Congress Chhattisgarh President Bhupesh Baghel took to Twitter to share that he has cast his vote, in a bid to encourage other people to cast theirs.

45.2 percent voter turnout has been recorded till 2:55 pm in the second phase of polling for the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.

58.47 percent voter turnout has been recorded till 4 pm in the second phase of polling for the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, reported ANI.

59.41 percent voter turnout has been recorded till 4:30 pm in the second phase of polling for the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.

64.8 percent voter turnout has been recorded till 5 pm in the second phase of polling for the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.

Polling has concluded in the second phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. However, voting is still continuing at some polling booths where voters are in queue.

A turnout of 71.93 percent was recorded till 6 pm in the second phase of Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday and polling remained incident-free, the Election Commission said.

Addressing a press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said the polling percentage is likely to rise further as a number of people were still in the queue for voting. He said the polling percentage for this phase is slightly higher than that recorded during 2013 which was 71.13 percent.

Sinha said Tuesday's election was peaceful and incident-free as elaborate security arrangements were made.

He added that a number of old voters, including those over 100 years of age, also exercised their franchise and the Commission had made arrangements for them.

The EC said with Tuesday's polling percentage, the total average turnout for Chhattisgarh has been 74.17 percent, which may go up further. During the first phase of voting on 12 November for 18 seats in the Naxal-affected areas of the state, a total of 76.42 percent polling was recorded.

Congress workers are guarding EVM machines outside strong room after elections. Raipur Congress Chief Vikas Upadhyay says, “Instances reported related to EVMs after voting during Karnataka&Gujarat polls have raised doubts, so we are here on guard.”

(Source: ANI)