58.19% polling in Chhattisgarh till 3 pm

A voter turnout of 58.19 per cent was recorded till 3 pm in seven of the 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in Chhattisgarh, where polling was underway in the third and last phase of the general elections in the state on Tuesday, a poll official said.

Polling is being held in Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa (reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates), Surguja (reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates) and Raigarh (ST) seats.

"Polling in the seven Lok Sabha constituencies started at 7 am, and a voter turnout of 58.19 per cent has been registered till 3 pm. Polling is underway smoothly and peacefully," the official said.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and his family members voted in Bagia, their native village in Jashpur district in the Raigarh Lok Sabha constituency.

Talking to reporters, Sai appealed to voters to exercise their voting rights, and exuded confidence that the BJP will win all 11 Lok Sabha seats of the state.

"The feedback of polling in the first two phases for four Lok Sabha seats, the huge response of people during public rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and other leaders, and the impact of works done in the 10 years of Modi government and three months of our government in Chhattisgarh, clearly indicate that we are going to win all 11 seats in the state," he said.