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Despite Maoists' call for a boycott, voters in Chattisgarh came out in decent number to exercise their voting right. Till 1 pm, the voter turnout was over 25 per cent. Voting began in 18 of 90 constituencies in Chhattisgarh today, in the first phase of assembly polls. As many as one lakh security personnel, including paramilitary forces, have been posted in the state. Amid Maoists call for boycott, the security forces are using drones to keep vigil in polling districts. Of the 18 seats going to polls in the first phase, eight are held by the Congress and the rest by the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have accused Congress of supporting "urban Naxals". Three-time Chief Minister Raman Singh is being challenged by Karuna Shukla, niece of late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Janta Congress Chhattisgarh party led by Ajit Jogi has been wooing tribals by offering farm loans waivers and jobs for the youth.
The second phase of the Chhattisgarh election will be held on November 20 and the votes will be counted on December 11 along with that of of Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan where assembly polls will be held over the coming weeks.
Here are the LIVE updates on Chhattisgarh assembly elections Phase 1
Telangana Elections 2018: Chandramukhi Muvvala, 32-Year-Old Transgender, Files Nomination Papers For Telangana ElectionsA 32-year-old transgender, contesting the December 7 Assembly elections in Telangana, filed her nominations Monday."
Chandramukhi is contesting on a CPM-led Bahujan Left Front or BLF ticket from Goshamahal constituency.
She is pitted against former minister and senior Congress leader Mukhesh Goud and controversial BJP leader T Raja Singh in the constituency.
"No party came forward to give a transgender a ticket to contest the polls. But, BLF gave me the ticket and I filed my nominations," Ms Chandramukhi told PTI.
Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah To Address Election Rallies In Mizoram Today
Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his BJP counterpart Amit Shah would address multiple rallies in Mizoram to to boost their parties chance in the November 28 election.
According to reports, Amit Shah would arrive at the Lengpui airport near Aizawl and visit southernmost Mizoram's Lawngtlai, Myanmar-border Champhai and Assam border Vairengte by helicopter where he would address public rallies.
He would come to Aizawl from Vairengte and release the BJP's manifesto/vision document for the state before leaving for Delhi.
In The Last Four Years KCR's Assets Increased By 41% To Rs. 22.61 Crore
Telangana caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's total asset has increased by about 41 per cent to Rs. 22.61 crore in the last over four years and even though his party's symbol is a 'car', he does not own one, his election affidavit reveals.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) supremo filed the affidavit along with his nomination papers on Wednesday for the Gajwel assembly constituency. Telangana goes to poll on December 7.
The total value of his movable and immovable assets stands at Rs. 22.61 crore now as against Rs. 15.95 crore declared in 2014, an increase of about 41 per cent, according to Mr Rao's affidavit.
The TRS chief has acquired an additional 16 acres of agricultural land during the period, it said.
In the 2014 general elections, Mr Rao had declared that he owned 37.70 acres of agricultural land and according to the latest affidavit, it stood at 54.24 acres.
Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Monday said there was no anti-incumbency in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh due to good governance under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
"The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has earnestly worked for people and implemented flawless welfare policies," she said, adding that the people of Madhya Pradesh had faith in the ruling party.
She also hit out at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and claimed his "indecisive" leadership had put his party in a "tight spot". She also dubbed Mr Gandhi's visits to temples as politics of "appeasement".
After a promising 76.28 per cent turnout in the 18-seat first phase in Maoist affected areas, the second phase is seeing voting for 72 seats spread across 19 districts. More than 1.5 crore people are eligible to vote in over 19,000 polling booths, deciding the fates of many high-profile leaders.
Voting has started for the second and final phase of Chhattisgarh assembly elections amid elaborate security arrangements including more than one lakh personnel, helicopters and drones.
Election Commission says that nine cases of paid news were reported in the first phase of Chhattisgarh polls.
Election Commission says failure of voting machines and VVPAT was negligible during the first phase of polling. VVPAT was used in all polling stations and replacement of these till 5pm was extremely low, only 1 per cent EVMs were replaced.
Voting at Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Bastar, Jagdalpur and Chitrakot, where polling started at 8 a.m., ended at 5 p.m.
Polling in 10 constituencies -- Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, Konta, Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal and Kondagaon -- started at 7 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m.
70% votes polled in first phase of Chhattisgarh polls
Phase 1 of Chhattisgarh elections records 70 per cent voter turnout (provisional) compared to 75.06% in 2013. Chhattisgarh has a total of 90 assembly seats and in the first phase polling were held for 18 seats. Of the seats going polls, 12 are in Bastar and six in Rajnandgaon district. Elections for the remaining 72 seats will will be held on November 20. Votes will be counted on December 11.
Polling for all 18 seats in the first phase of Chhattisgarh assembly elections has ended. 187 candidates were fighting in the first phase.
After the Nilwaya Maoist attack, the challenges have gone up. Maoists had threatened villagers against voting. We assured the villagers of a secure environment, put in place a three level security so that people can vote without fear:CRPF official quoted by news agency ANI
25.15 per cent voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2018.
Certain sources are spreading rumours that EVMs are malfunctioning repeatedly. This is to clarify that above information is false. Voting is going on smoothly. If at all, any glitches are noticed, issue is sorted out as quickly as possible: Election Commission
Voters in Jagdalpur's Gandhi Nagar ward protested outside the polling centre. They say names of many voters were missing from the voting list.
Thirty-one EVMs and 61 VVPAT machines were replaced due to technical snags, a poll official said.
In Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon, people are queued up outside the polling station in Maoist-affected Manpur's Pardoni village.
Polling in 18 assembly constituencies in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh elections began on a slow note on Monday with about 14 per cent of the electorate casting their votes in the first few hours.
A differently abled person reaches Chintagupha polling booth to cast his vote.
An IED was detected near a polling booth in Konta's Banda in Sukma.
10.7% voter turnout recorded till 10 am in the first phase of Chhattisgarh, reports news agency ANI.
In Dantewada, 11 per cent voting was recorded till 9 am.
Voting underway in interior areas of Kistaram, Palem and Bejji in Naxal-affected Sukma district.
53 polling stations out of the total of 4336 reported delayed start of polling due to technical reasons: Election Commission
Voting is on in Bhejji in Sukma district. A zero percent turnout was recorded here in last elections.
Voting has stopped due to technical problem in the electronic voting machines at the Pink polling booth in Kamla College, in Rajnandgaon's Sangwari, reports news agency ANI
Nearly 900 polling personnel have been air-dropped from helicopters so that they can reach safely. Over 16,500 polling personnel went by-road. I think all will be in a position to deliver peaceful elections: Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat To news agency ANI
PM Modi has urged voters to participate in the voting process in Chhattisgarh.
An improvised explosive device was detonated by Maoists today on Tumakpal-Nayanar road at around 5:30 am to target security forces.
A 100-year-old woman reached a polling station in Sukma's Dornapal to cast her vote.
Voting to start in five constituencies of Rajnandgaon and three seats of Bastar at 8 am in the first phase.
Heavy security has been deployed on poll booths in Dantewada.
Maoists have triggered an IED blast at Dantewada near Tumakpal camp in Katekalyan block, news agency ANI reported. Voting is underway for 10 out of 18 seats in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh assembly election.
Visuals from a polling station in Rajnandgaon's Metepar village ahead of the first phase of voting.
Voting has begun for 10 out of 18 seats going to polls today.
The Congress has focused on local issues - promising farm loan waiver and liquor ban in the state. Party chief Rahul Gandhi has accused Chief Minister Raman Singh and his son of corruption.
Of the 18 seats going to polls today, eight are held by the Congress and the rest by the BJP.
The Raman Singh government, which has been in power for three consecutive terms, is seeking a fourth mandate. The Congress hopes to recapture power claiming huge anti-incumbency. Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi's new party is also in fray, in alliance with Mayawati.
The remaining 72 constituencies will vote on November 20.
