Polling officials at a distribution centre in Raipur on the eve of second phase of Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh
Polling began today in 72 constituencies of Chhattisgarh in the second phase of assembly elections, officials said.
Over one lakh security personnel will keep a hawk eye vigil during the second and final phase of polling for the elections in the state, where Chief Minister Raman Singh-led BJP is eyeing a hat-trick.
Today's voting would seal the fate of Speaker of State Assembly and nine ministers besides Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, kin of the Darbha Naxal attack in May and former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi's wife Renu.
Polling will take place in central and north Chhattisgarh, where as many as 843 candidates, including 72 each from the BJP and Congress, are in the fray. There are 75 women contestants.
The polling, which began at 8 am, is scheduled to end at 5 pm. Around 80,000 officials and over a lakh security personnel have been roped in for conducting the polls.
Maximum number of candidates have been fielded in Raipur city south constituency (38) while least number of candidates are in Saraipali (5).
Assembly Speaker Dharamlal Kaushik has been retained from Bilha seat which he had won against Congress candidate Siyaram Kaushik by 6,070 votes in 2008 elections. Congress has given another opportunity to Siyaram this time from the same seat.