Chhattisgarh is conducting the first phase of it’s by elections since 7:00 A.M., today, for 18 constituency seats.
After a recent explosion by Maoists in the area of Dante, the security tightened during the bypolls. The bypolls are divided into two phases. The first phase is scheduled for today, whereas the second phase will be held on the 20th of November.
Speaking about the security, D.M. Awasthi, Chhattisgarh’s Special Director General of Anti Naxals Operation, said, “Around one lakh security personnel, including Central Paramilitary Force, have been deployed to ensure peaceful polling in the first phase.”
Recently, Chhattisgarh witnessed a massive blast, which killed 5 people in Dante. Other such explosive incidents took place in the last 15 days to boycott the elections, as a threat to the Government. According to intelligence reports, Maoists from Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha and other states are in Chhattisgarh and are likely to attempt every possible way to harm the public in order to affect the ongoing elections.
A total of 190 candidates are contesting in the by elections of Chhattisgarh and approximately 31,80,014 voters are expected to vote. After Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh will be the third state conducting its bypolls this year.
According to sources, as of now, the turnout of voters is 21.53 %.
The areas polling today are Mohla Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Konta. Khairgarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Bastar, Jagdalpur and Chitrakot started polling from 8:00 A.M., today and will continue till 5:00 P.M.
The results of the bypolls will be declared on the 11th of December.
