AMN / WEB DESK
Polling is underway for the first phase of Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh and single phase polling in Mizoram. In Chhattisgarh, voting is taking place for 20 seats today. Most of these constituencies are in Naxal-affected areas. More than 22 per cent voting was recorded till 11 am in the State.
The fate of 223 candidates, including 25 women, will be decided in this phase. Prominent among them are BJP leader and former chief minister Raman Singh, state Congress president Deepak Baij and deputy speaker Santram Netamand. Women voters outnumber men in 16 out of the 20 assembly segments where polling is being held today. 5,304 polling booths have been set up for this phase. 200 out of these are managed by women staffers, while 20 each are managed by ‘Divyanjan’ and youth.
Voting in the remaining 70 seats in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 17 in the second and last phase of polling for the 90-member state assembly. Counting of votes will be taken up on December 3.
In Mizoram, voting is taking place for all 40 assembly seats in a single phase today. Polling began at 7 AM and will end at 4 PM. Over 26 percent voter turnout was recorded till 11 am in the state. More than 8.57 lakh electorates, including 4 lakh 39 thousand 26 women, will decide the fate of 174 candidates. The ruling Mizo National Front, Indian National Congress and the Zoram People’s Movement have fielded candidates for all 40 seats, while BJP is contesting in 23 Assembly constituencies. Aam Aadmi Party is contesting in four Assembly segments. 27 Independent candidates are also in the fray.
Out of the 1,276 voting centres in the state, 149 are remote polling stations. Around 30 polling stations along the inter-state and international borders have been declared critical and vulnerable. Security has been tightened across the state and along international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar. Mizoram shares a 510 km border with Myanmar and a 318 km border with Bangladesh.
At least 3,000 policemen and 5,400 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed for the polls.