The second phase of the Chhattisgarh assembly elections got under way at 8am on Tuesday. Voting will be held for 72 of the 90 assembly seats up for election. In the first phase of the Chhattisgarh election for 18 seats, held on November 12, 76.2 per cent voter turnout was registered.
In the second phase of the Chhattisgarh polls, as many as 77.5 lakh males, 76.46 lakh females and 877 transgender voters are entitled to exercise their franchise at over 19,000 polling booths in the 72 constituencies, spread across 16 districts. The districts are mainly in central and north Chhattisgarh.
In the second phase, districts like Gariaband, Dhamtari, Mahasamund, Kabirdham, Jashpur and Balrampur are Naxalite-affected areas and extra vigil was being maintained there, an official said.
While the fate of Chief Minister Raman Singh was decided in the first phase, several major leaders in Chhattisgarh are contesting in the constituencies going to polls on Tuesday.
These include state Congress unit chief Bhupesh Baghel, who is contesting from Patan, and major BJP leaders such as Assembly speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal, who is contesting from Kasdol and Minister Brijmohan Agrawal, fighting from Raipur South. As many as nine ministers of the BJP government are contesting the second phase.
Ajit Jogi, who has been working to project a third front alternative with Mayawati is contesting from Marwahi and his wife, Renu Jogi, from Kota. Interestingly, their daughter-in-law, Richa Jogi, is fighting from Akaltara on a BSP ticket.
(With PTI inputs)
