Seeking a fourth straight term in tribal-dominated Chhattisgarh, the BJP on Saturday promised pension to small and marginal farmers and an unemployment allowance, as the ruling party released its manifesto for the upcoming assembly polls.
Two days before the first phase of voting on November 12, BJP president Amit Shah and Chief Minister Raman Singh released the party’s manifesto, called ‘Nava Chhattisgarh Sankalp Patra’, in Raipur, promising to continue minimum support price (MSP) for paddy, an annual Rs 300 bonus for the crop, besides subsidised rice and salt, and lowest electricity rates.
The issue of bonus for paddy had become a major talking point earlier this year. While the BJP-led government was giving Rs 300 bonus for the crop for past three years of their five-year term, the Congress promised
The ruling BJP holds 43 of the 72 seats, with the party sweeping several areas in the Chhattisgarh plains in the 2013 elections. Five years later, the party is banking on the work it has done over 15 years, with its leaders also counting on the Ajit Jogi-BSP coalition to cut into any anti-incumbency votes, especially in the Bilaspur-Janjgir region. In billboards now put up across Chhattisgarh, the party has asked voters to recall the state’s condition in 2003 when the Raman Singh government took over.
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56.58 per cent voter turnout recorded till 4.30 pm in 18 constituencies in the first phase of Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh. The highest voter turnout has been recorded in Khujji at 65.5 per cent. Maoist-infested areas of Bastar and Dantewada saw 58 per cent and 49 per cent polling respectively. In the 2013 elections, Bastar saw only 40 per cent voter participation. Kondagaon, Keshkal, Kanker, Khairagarh and Dongargarh saw 61.47, 63.51, 62, 60.5, 64 per cent voter turnout.
BJP chief Amit Shah is addressing public meeting in Patan, Chhattisgarh. In a direct attack on Rahul Gandhi, Shah said, "Rahul Gandhi must answer that when there was a Congress government in the Centre, why did they deprive Chhattisgarh of its rights. PM Modi says 'garibi hatao' but Rahul Gandhi says 'Modi hatao'. The whole Congress party is suffering from Modi phobia."
Of the 18 seats where polling is being held, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and one for Scheduled Caste (SC) category. The second phase of polling in 72 seats, out of the 90-member Assembly, will be held on November 20. Around 1.25 lakh security personnel have been deployed in the region to ensure peaceful polling. The elections this time is eesentially a three-way contest between the ruling BJP, Congress and the Ajit Jogi-Mayawati combine. Counting of votes will take place on December 11.
Three more personnel of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) were injured and around five Naxals were killed in the encounter at Bijapur district's Pamed area, ANI reported. Earlier, two CoBRA personnel were injured in the encounter, which began a group of Naxals opened fire on a team of security personnel that was patrolling the region as voting was on in the first phase of Chhattisgarh elections. All the CoBRA personnel are out of danger.
47.18 per cent voter turnout recorded till 3 pm in the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. In the 2013 elections, the first phase saw a 67 per cent voter turnout. In the first phase, 18 constituencies out of 90 are voting.
The Congress has alleged rampant EVM rigging in the Bastar area even as the Election Commission rejected the charges. "BJP has completely lost the plot in Chhattisgarh and its desperation and desolation is more than evident with reports of rigging of EVMs pouring in from Bastar," IANS quoted Congress Legislative Party leader TS Singh Deo as saying. The EC said "certain sources were spreading rumours of EVM malfunctioning and rigging". A poll officer said as many as 31 EVMs and 51 VVPAT machines were replaced due to technical snags.
People in Dantewada's Madenda village have come out to cast their votes even after threat from the Naxals to cut their fingers if ink mark is seen on their fingers. "There are 263 registered voters in the village and many are voting despite the threat," ANI quoted a local as saying. A CRPF official said challenges had multiplied following the Nilwaya naxal attack, where DD cameraman Achyutanand Sahu was killed. "After the Nilwaya naxal attack, the challenges have gone up. Naxals had threatened villagers against voting. We assured the villagers of a secure environment and put in place a three-level security so that people can vote without fear," he said.
A 103-year-old woman, Soni Bai, reached the polling booth in Gorgunda's Devarpalli, Sukma, to cast her vote. Her son carried her in his arms to the polling station.
A total of 25.15 per cent voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, reported ANI.
Rajnandgaon sees highest voter turnout in the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections till 11 am with 39 per cent in Mohala-Manpur constituency and 31 per cent in Dongargaon constituency.
Two Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) jawans injured in the encounter that broke out between security forces and the Naxals in Bijapur's Pamed area.
An encounter broke out between security personnel and Naxals in Bijapur's Pamed area around 12.20 pm. Firing underway, reported ANI.
Election Commission (EC) has issued a statement that claims of EVMs failing repeatedly at various booths are false, ANI reported. Any glitches, if noticed, are being attended immediately, said EC.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur.
Names of many voters were allegedly missing from the electoral roll of Jagdalpur's Gandhi Nagar ward. Protesters, who gathered outside the polling booth there, alleged that the names of people living here for the past 25 years are also missing from the voters' list.
The polling station in Naxal-affected Manpur's Pardoni village saw huge voter turnout on Monday despite Naxali posters & banners all over the place asking people to boycott elections.
Sukma SP Abhishek Meena said voters from interior areas in the district were coming out to exercise their right to vote, defying the Naxals' call for the election boycott, reported PTI. While zero voting was recorded in 'Bhejji 2' and Gorkha polling booths in 2013, this time 11 and 20 voters respectively had turned up in the initial hours, Meena told PTI.
He added that 72 votes have been cast in 'Bhejji 1' polling station so far this time. Last time, only one vote was cast there.
Differently-abled person casts his vote at a polling booth in Motipur, Rajnandgaon.
Three IEDs have been detected near a polling booth in Konta's Banda. CRPF bomb disposal squad is now in the process of defusing them, reported ANI.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has urged Chhattisgarh youths, women and senior citizens to cast their votes in the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.
A differently-abled person arrived at Chintagupha polling booth in Dantewada to cast his vote.
Chhattisgarh has seen 10.7% voter turnout till 10 am in the first phase of the Assembly elections in the state, reported ANI.
Another IED has been detected near a polling booth in Konta's Banda.
Voting underway in Kistaram, Palem and Bejji of Naxal-affected Sukma district.
According to Election Commission, out of the total of 4336 polling stations, 53 reported delayed start of polling due to technical reasons.
A visually-impaired person casts his vote at a polling booth in Dantewada's Geedam.
Some delays have been reported due to snags in polling machines in Kanker and Bijapur districts.
Voting has resumed at the pink polling station in Kamla College, in Rajnandgaon's Sangwari, reported ANI. Polling there had been halted following detection of a technical snag in the EVM at the station. Pink polling booths set up in Chhattisgarh are the ones fully operated by women.
Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said nearly 900 polling personnel have been air-dropped from helicopters so that they can reach their destination safely. Over 16,500 polling personnel went by road. "I think all will be in a position to deliver peaceful elections," Rawat told ANI.
Voting has stopped due to a technical snag in the EVM at the pink polling booth in Kamla College, in Rajnandgaon, reported ANI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also called out to the Chhatisgarh residents to exercise their democratic rights and cast their votes with full enthusiasm.
A 100-year-old woman reached a polling station in Dornapal to cast her vote in the first phase of Chhattisgarh elections, ANI reported.
The IED was triggered by Naxals on Tumakpal-Nayanar road at around 5.30 am targeting the security forces. However, no harm has been caused to them and the polling party. Party has safely reached Nayanar polling Booth No. 183 under PS Katekalyan, AIG (Anti-Naxal Ops) Devnath told ANI.
A polling booth in Dantewada is being fully operated by women. All the staff including presiding officers, supervisors and security personnel in this pink booth are women.
In 2008, Bir Singh Dhurve, then a teacher, was assigned to a polling booth in Tetral in Konta block of Sukma district, deep inside what was then, and is still Maoist territory. Almost immediately after Dhruve and three others reached the ramshackle school that was meant to be the polling station around 7 am and began setting up, they were surrounded by 50 Maoists.
“Some were in uniform, others in plain clothes. Some carried guns and the others had bows and arrows. They asked us why we were there. We told them we only wanted to do our duty. They took away the EVM and told us not to return. In two hours, we were back at the Konta police station,” he said.
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Voting has began in 10 out of 18 Assembly constituencies in the first phase of the elections. The security in the state has been beefed up by deploying over 1.25 lakh police and paramilitary personnel, reported PTI. In the first phase, 190 candidates are in the fray and according to the electoral rolls, there are 31,80,014 voters.
People are lining up at a polling station at Chintalanka in Dantewada. A polling centre Avrabhata, also in Dantewada, is gearing up for the polls that will begin soon. All these areas in Bastar have been affected by left-wing violence.
A command improvised explosive device (IED) has reportedly gone off at Tumakpal in the Katekalyan area of Dantewada, 2 km from Tumakpal camp, and 1.5km from a polling station. However, no injuries or deaths have been reported.
Eight districts, seven of Bastar and one of Rajnandgaon, will go to polls today. Bastar has 12 seats. Polling in 10 of these 12 seats will be held between 7 am and 3 pm. In Jagdalpur and Chitrakote, it will continue till 5 pm. Security agencies are on high alert since Maoists have been aggressive this year in the run up to the assembly elections.