The first phase of elections on Chhattisgarh started on Thursday, April 10 as the state witnessed Naxal-infested Bastar constituency go to polls, where a total of eight candidates are in the fray including two women.
Total 47 per cent voting was recoded in naxal-affected Bastar in till 4 PM. However, the polling was under the shadow of voilence in Sukma where Maoists gherao polling parties and 2 jawans were injured in clash.
Some EVM machines were not working in Polampalli area and there EC has decided to conduct re-polling. Police headquarters also issuesed warning to polling parties to adopt safety measures.
A Chhattisgarh state Election Commission official said that till 10 am, 18-20 percent votes were cast. By afternoon, the numbers went up to 27-28 percent. Polling was largely peaceful except the incident happened in Sukma.
Polling officials failed to reach seven places in Sukma district and two places in Bijapur. In Jagdalpur district too, polling was delayed in two places as the poll authorities were not able to reach the polling centres.
There was a healthy turnout of voters in urban areas like Jagdalpur town.
However, the enthusiasm was comparatively much lower in the interior, forested areas dominated by Maoists. The polling was sluggish.
Over 1.29 million voters will decide the fate of eight candidates in the constituency where roughly 80 percent of the total 1,797 polling booths have been declared "ultra sensitive". The remaining 10 seats will see polling April 17 and 24.
Bastar, which comprises six assembly segments, has more female voters at 665,290 than 633,681 male voters.
The main contest is between Bharatiya Janata Party nominee and sitting MP Dinesh Kashyap and Congress candidate Deepak Karma, son of the late Mahendra Karma, the founder of the controversial Salwa Judum civil militia movement. However, Soni Sori is also in fray.
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