The fate of 223 candidates will be sealed in electronic voting machines (EVMs) in 20 Legislative Assembly constituencies of the State under the first phase of Assembly polls on Tuesday. 40,78,681 voters including 19,93,937 male voters, 20,84,675 female voters and 69 third gender will cast their votes in the first phase polls at 5,304 polling stations in 20 Legislative Assembly constituencies. In 10 Assembly constituencies, polling will be held from 7 am to 3 pm while the polling will be conducted from 8 am to 5 pm in 10 assembly constituencies. Polling will be held at Pandariya, Kawardha, Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Bastar, Jagdalpur and Chitrakot assembly constituencies from 8 am to 5 pm. Polling will be held at Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Konta legislative assembly constituencies from 7 am to 3 pm.

 

The fate of prominent candidates including former Chief Minister and Rajnandgaon BJP candidate Dr Raman Singh, Forest Minister and Congress candidate from Kawardha Mohammad Akbar, Sukma Congress candidate and Industry Minister Kawasi Lakhma, Kondagaon polls in first phase today Congress candidate and Cabinet Minister Mohan Markam, State Mineral Development Corporation Chairman and Congress candidate from Rajnandgaon Girish Dewangan, State Congress President and Chitrakot Congress candidate Deepak Baij, BJP candidate from Kawardha Vijay Sharma, BJP candidate from Kondgaon Lata Usendi, BJP candidate from Narayanpur and former Minister Kedar Kashyap, former Minister and BJP candidate from Bijapur Mahesh Gagda will be sealed in the EVMs in the first phase of assembly polls on Tuesday. There is a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress candidates in almost all 20 seats where the polling is being held under the first phase assembly polls on Tuesday. However in some seats rebel and independent candidates could redefine the electoral outcome.

 

Campaigning vigorously, these candidates have taken their message door-to-door, appealing for voter support in their respective assembly constituencies on Monday. The election for these 20 seats is of immense significance, particularly because many of them are located in Maoist-affected areas, making the electoral process even more complex. In some remote polling stations in the Bastar region, poll materials have been transported by chopper to ensure the smooth conduct of the elections. Polling teams have already set out on their journeys to the designated polling stations, marking a critical step in the election preparations. A total of 223 candidates have entered the race for the first phase assembly polls in Chhattisgarh. Among them, the Rajnandgaon assembly seat stands out with the highest number of 29 candidates. In contrast, the Chitrakot and Dantewada seats have the fewest contenders, with just 7 candidates vying for victory.

 

Other assembly seats include Pandaria with 14 candidates, Kawardha with 16 candidates, Khairagarh with 11 candidates, Dongargarh (SC) with 10 candidates, Dongargaon with 12 candidates, Khujji with 10 candidates, Mohla-Manpur (ST) with 9 candidates, Antagarh (ST) with 13 candidates, Bhanupratappur (ST) with 14 candidates, Kanker (ST) with 9 candidates, Keshkal (ST) with 10 candidates, Kondagaon (ST) with 8 candidates, Narayanpur (ST) with 9 candidates, Bastar (ST) with 8 candidates, Jagdalpur with 11 candidates, and Chitrakot and Dantewada with 7 candidates each. Similarly, Bijapur and Konta seats each have 8 candidates. The emergence of rebel and independent candidates in this election is changing the dynamics and adding an element of unpredictability, making the first phase assembly polls in Chhattisgarh a closely watched event.