Assembly Elections 2023: Stage set for voting in Chhattisgarh, Mizoram today; security heightened

Assembly elections 2023: Voting for the first phase of Assembly polls for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh is all set to take place today. Apart from Chhattisgarh, Mizoram is also all set for single-phase polling today.

About 25,249 personnel have been deployed in Chhattisgarh where voting will take place between 7 am and 3 pm in 10 seats, namely Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Konta.

Meanwhile, votes will be cast between 8 am and 5 pm in Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Pandariya and Kawardha Bastar, Jagdalpur and Chitrakot.

A total of 7,200 security personnel have been deployed across Mizoram to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections, Inspector-General of Police (Headquarters) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte told news agency PTI. Voting for the 40-member assembly will take place between 7 am and continue till 4 pm.

Assembly elections 2023: Chhattisgarh, Mizoram all set to vote; top points

1. In the first phase in Chhattisgarh, the fate of 223 candidates, including 25 women, will be decided by an estimated 40,78,681 voters, comprising 19,93,937 male, 20,84,675 female and 69 third-gender persons. As many as 5304 polling booths have been set up for the first phase.

2. Prominent candidates from the ruling Congress party in the first phase of elections include Chhattisgarh Congress chief and MP Deepak Baij (Chitrakoot), ministers Kawasi Lakhma (Konta), Mohan Markam (Kondagaon), and Mohammad Akbar (Kawardha), as well as Chhavindra Karma (Dantewada), son of the late leader Mahendra Karma.

3. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded former Chief Minister Raman Singh against Congress's Girish Dewangan. Other notable BJP candidates include former ministers Lata Usendi (Kondagaon seat), Vikram Usendi (Antagarh), Kedar Kashyap (Narayanpur), and Mahesh Gagda (Bijapur), along with former IAS officer Neelkanth Tekam (Keshkal).

4. The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) state unit chief, Komal Hupendi, is contesting from the Bhanupratappur seat.

5. As for Mizoram, over 8.57 lakh voters are geared up to decide the electoral fate of 174 candidates. The counting of votes will take place on December 3.

6. The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), main opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and Congress have fielded candidates in all the seats. The BJP is contesting 23 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded candidates in four seats. Besides, there are 27 independent candidates.

(With PTI inputs)

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