Slow Polling In Round 1 In Chhattisgarh Amid Maoist Threat | Read

Polling is underway in 18 seats in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-hit areas under heavy security. The remaining 72 constituencies will vote on November 20. The BJP government led by Chief Minister Raman Singh is looking to hold on to power for a fourth term. The Congress campaign is trying to swing votes by promising to keep farmers happy and not letting unchecked development bulldoze the interest of fragile communities in the Maoist-hit state. Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi's new party is also in fray, in alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party. The Congress, which failed to seal a deal with the Dalit powerhouse, fears the combination will dent its chances. "I have been told that people in large numbers are voting in the (Maoist-hit) Bastar region," PM Modi said at a rally in Bilaspur for the second phase.