The second phase of Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh is set to take place on November 17 for the remaining 70 seats of the 90-member assembly.
Over 18,800 polling stations have been set up for the second phase of polling. Out of the 90 seats, 70 seats are going to the polls today. A total of 958 candidates are in the fray across the 70 seats.
Raipur City West Assembly constituency has the number of candidates with 26 contestants, and the lowest is in Daundilohara constituency with four contestants.
The seat in Patan Assembly constituency will witness a triangular fight between Congress, BJP and Janata Congress Chhattisgarh.
Congress has fielded Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel from his traditional seat while BJP has fielded Baghel’s nephew and MP Vijay Baghel against him. Janata Congress Chhattisgarh has fielded the party’s chief and former chief minister Ajit Jogi’s son, Amit Jogi in the Patan seat.
Other key constituencies in the second phase of polling include Ambikapur, Raipur City South, Korba, Sakti, Durg Rural, and Lormi among others.
Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo will be seeking the mandate for Congress in the Ambikapur Assembly constituency. BJP has fielded Rajesh Agrawal, who was a former Congress leader. Deo has been three times MLA from the seat since 2008.
Sakti Assembly constituency will see an electoral battle between Congress’ Charan Das Mahant and BJP’s Khilawan Sahu. Das is currently serving as the speaker in the Chhattisgarh assembly and also a three-time MLA and three-time MP from the seat.
Chhattisgarh’s former home minister Brij Mohan Agrawal is seeking a voter’s mandate from Raipur City South for BJP while Congress has fielded Mahant Ram Sundar.
BJP has fielded its state chief and MP Arun Sao from Lormi constituency against Congress’ Thaneshwar Sahu.
In Korba Assembly constituency, Congress has fielded Jai Singh Agrawal who is presently the Revenue Minister of the state while BJP has fielded party vice president Lakhanlal Dewangan.
Union Minister and MP Renuka Singh is contesting from Bharatpur-Sonhat Assembly constituency where Congress has fielded Gulab Singh Kamro.
In the second phase, voting will take place from 8 am to 5 pm, while in nine polling stations of Bindranavagarh assembly constituency, voting will be held from 7 am to 3 pm.
The Election Commission concluded the first phase of polling in Chhattisgarh for 20 seats on November 7. The counting of votes to the 90-member assembly will be done on December 3.
(With inputs from ANI)
