77.4 % cast vote in Chitrakot by-polls
| Date :22-Oct-2019 |
Staff Reporter :
RAIPUR
In the Chitrakot by-election held on Monday around 77.40% voters exercised their franchise. The fate of six candidates was sealed in 229 electronic voting machines (EVMs) for Chitrakot (ST seat) Assembly by-poll. State Chief Election officer Subrat Sahoo addressing a press conference said that the by-election was peacefully conducted amid tight security arrangements at 229 polling booths including 70 hyper sensitive booths and 93 sensitive booths. A presiding officer was replaced at polling booth number 15 after a complaint was lodged against him after Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (Jogi) President Amit Jogi shared a video on social media, in which he alleged that the presiding officer was guiding a voter to cast his vote to favour the ruling Congress party in the by-poll.
There were 213 polling booths in Bastar district and 16 polling booths in Sukma district. 916 polling officials were deployed in Chitrakot assembly constituency to conduct smoothly the by-election. Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Vivekananda Sinha said that an encounter took place between the police and Naxalites in Kondagaon district, adjacent to Bastar district on Monday. No causalities have been reported in the encounter, he added. Despite Naxal threat, voters in large number came out from their houses to cast their votes. The voters of Katabans under Lohandiguda block crossed Indravati river by a boat and they reached Karekot polling booth and exercised their franchise.
There was direct fight between BJP candidate Lachuram Kashyap and Congress candidate Rajman Benzam for Chitrakot by-election. BJP candidate Lachuram Kashyap exercised his franchise at Kodebeda polling station under Lohandiguda block of Chitrakot assembly constituency. After exercising his franchise, BJP candidate Kashyap said that he is getting support and blessings of the voters in the by-election and he is confident to win the by-election. Replying to a query, the BJP candidate said that the voters had rejected him in 2018 assembly election due to their disappointment. But this time, the BJP is trying to win the hearts of voters and getting constant support from public in the Chitrakot by-election, he added.
Congress candidate Rajman Benzam along with his wife cast his vote at polling booth Irpa, Bastanar. After casting his vote, Congress candidate Benzam confidently said that he would win Chitrakot by-election by a margin of over 20,000 votes. In 2018 assembly election, Congress candidate Deepak Baij polled 62,616 votes while BJP candidate Lachuram Kashyap polled 44,846 votes. Deepak Baij defeated Lachuram Kashyap by a margin of 17,770 votes. If the Congress retains Chitrakot assembly seat, the strength of Congress will reach 69 in the state assembly.
At present, the Congress has 11 out of 12 assembly seats in Bastar division. It may be mentioned that Congress candidate Devati Karma, wife of slain Congress leader Mahendra Karma, defeated BJP candidate Ojasvi Bhima Mandavi by a margin of 11331 votes in the recently conducted Dantewada by-poll. Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) candidate Bomda Mandavi, Indian National Congress candidate Rajman Benzam, BJP candidate Lachuram Kashyap, Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate Hidmoram Mandavi, Ambedkarite Party of India candidate Lakheshwar Kawasi and Independent candidate Ritik Karma were in race in the Chitrakot by-poll. Counting of votes will be held on October 24. Eight Adarsh polling booths were set up this time. Women polling officers were also deployed to conduct voting at five Sangvari polling booths. It may be mentioned that Chitrakot assembly seat was necessitated after Deepak Baij was elected as Bastar Lok Sabha Member.