Assembly polls: Mizoram records 77% turnout, Chhattisgarh 71% in first phase
CoBRA commando injured in IED blast triggered by Naxalites in Sukma; AK-47 rifle recovered after encounter between Naxalites and security personnel in Kanker
An IED blast triggered by Naxalites and three different encounters between them and security personnel marred the first phase of polling underway in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, officials said.
A commando of CoBRA, an elite unit of CRPF, was injured in the improvised explosive device (IED) blast triggered by Naxalites in Sukma district while his unit was undertaking an area domination operation to ensure security during the polls, they said.
An AK-47 rifle was recovered after an encounter between Naxalites and security personnel in Kanker district, where polling is being held in the first phase of the state assembly elections, the officials said. Some Naxalites might have been killed or injured in the face-off, they claimed.
The incident took place at around 1 pm near Panavar village under Bande police station limits when a joint team of the Border Security Force (BSF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an area domination operation in view of the polling, a senior police official said.
After guns fell silent, an AK-47 rifle was recovered from the spot. Search was underway in the area, he said.
Bande area falls in Antagarh assembly segment, which is among the 20 constituencies where voting is being held in the first phase of state elections on Tuesday.
A brief exchange of fire also took place between Naxalites and security personnel near Banda polling station in Sukma district, police said.
Another encounter took place between security forces and Naxalites in Orchha police station area of Narayanpur district. No harm was reported to security personnel in these two incidents, police said.
On Monday, two polling personnel and a BSF jawan were injured in Chhotebethiya police station area in Antagarh constituency when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED), planted by Naxalites, went off when polling parties escorted by security personnel were heading to their polling booths.
71% voter turnout in Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh recorded a voter turnout of 71% in 20 constituencies during the first phase of assembly elections on Tuesday, said a poll official.
“A 70.87 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 5 pm in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh elections on Tuesday. However, this figure may go up as the final data from several booths was yet to be received," a poll official said.
Of the 20 seats for which polling was held on Tuesday, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
A total of 223 candidates, including 25 women, were in the fray and as per electoral rolls, 40,78,681 voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase.Polling was being held under a thick security blanket of police and paramilitary personnel, who kept a tight vigil in the seats in Naxalite-hit Bastar division.
77% voting in Mizoram
Nearly 77 per cent of 8.57 lakh electors cast their votes on Tuesday in the Mizoram assembly elections, officials said.
The voting percentage is likely to touch 80 as final reports are yet to come from far-flung districts, additional chief electoral officer H Lianzela said.
According to the Election Commission data at 6pm, 77.39 per cent voter turnout was recorded.
In the 2018 state polls, the overall voter turnout was 81.61 per cent.
Lianzela said voting was underway in certain polling stations even at 5pm, an hour after the 4pm deadline, as people waited in queues to exercise their franchise.
Polling in all the 1,276 polling stations was peaceful, the official said, adding 174 candidates, including 18 women, are in the fray.Of the 11 districts, central Mizoram's Serchhip recorded the highest polling percentage of 84.49, followed by Hnahthial (84.16) and Khawzawl (82.39).
Aizawl district witnessed the lowest turnout of 73.09 per cent. South Mizoram's Siaha (76.41) and Saitual (75.12) also posted lower voting percentages compared to others, ECI data said.Over 8.57 lakh voters, including 4.39 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the electoral fate of 174 candidates. Mizoram Additional Chief Electoral Officer H Lianzela said polling has been “peaceful and there has been no law and order issue till now”.
Faulty EVM delays CM’s vote
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga returned to cast his vote after facing a delay at the 19-Aizawl Venglai-I YMA Hall polling station due to a malfunctioning Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Despite waiting, the issue couldn't be resolved, prompting him to postpone his vote until after his morning meal.
“Machine was not working. I was waiting for some time. As the machine is not working I shall visit my constituency and I will vote after the morning meal,” said the Mizoram CM. The state is witnessing a closely contested election involving the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), the Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM), the Congress, and the BJP.
Exuding confidence that there will not be hung assembly in Mizoram as the ruling MNF will sweep the polls, Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday said his party does not have an alliance with the BJP in the state and its support to NDA at the Centre is “issue-based”.
Asserting that the MNF's efforts to integrate Zo tribes will reap electoral benefits for the party, he said people fleeing from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur feel safe in Mizoram which is ruled by his party. He expressed confidence in his party, hoping to secure at least 25 seats and regain power, citing their effective handling of COVID-19 and development initiatives as key factors in their favour.
Congress hopes to retain hold in Naxal-hit areas
While 20 of the 90 seats in Chhattisgarh will vote in the first phase, 12 of them fall under Bastar that is notorious as a Maoist belt. In view of the elections, security has been tightened in the region with the deployment of as many as 60,000 security personnel.
The Congress which won the 2018 elections by bagging 17 of the 20 seats expects to win this time too with the help of Bhupesh Baghel, credited for keeping Maoist activities under control and making strides in the state’s farm and education sectors.
The BJP which won just two seats in the last assembly polls refrained from announcing a chief ministerial candidate and campaigned under the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Thick security blanket in Naxal-hit areas
Around 60,000 security personnel, 40,000 of them belonging to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and 20,000 from the state police, have been deployed for smooth conduct of polls in the Bastar division which has 12 assembly segments, police said. Around 1 lakh security personnel have been deployed for the first phase of polls, they said.
Due to security reasons, 149 polling stations in five assembly constituencies of the Bastar division have been shifted to the nearest police station and security camps, they said.
Naxal activities are being monitored through drones and helicopters, while bomb disposal teams and dog squads will be roped in as and when required, according to the police.
In the first phase covering 20 of the total 90 assembly seats, 223 candidates, including 25 women, are in the fray and as per electoral rolls, 40,78,681 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.
The ruling Congress and the opposition BJP are the main contenders for power in the state. Women voters outnumber men in seats covered under the first phase of polling. As many as 20,84,675 female voters are on the rolls while the number of male voters is 19,93,937. There are 69 third gender voters as well.
As many as 5,304 election booths have been set up for the first phase and 25,249 polling personnel have been deployed.
Chhattisgarh Congress chief and MP Deepak Baij (Chitrakot), state ministers Kawasi Lakhma (Konta), Mohan Markam (Kondagaon) and Mohammad Akbar (Kawardha) as well as Chhavindra Karma (Dantewada), who is the son of late party leader Mahendra Karma, are among prominent candidates from the ruling party in the first phase.
For the BJP, former chief minister Raman Singh is contesting from Rajnandgaon against the Congress' Girish Dewangan, chairman of the Chhattisgarh State Mineral Development Corporation. Other prominent contestants from the saffron party include four former ministers – Lata Usendi (Kondagaon), Vikram Usendi (Antagarh), Kedar Kashyap (Narayanpur) and Mahesh Gagda (Bijapur), as well as former IAS officer Neelkanth Tekam from Keshkal.
The Aam Aadmi Party's state unit chief, Komal Hupendi, is in the fray from Bhanupratappur, while sitting MLA Anup Nag, after being denied a ticket by the Congress, is fighting as an Independent from Antagarh.
The remaining 70 seats will see voting on November 17 in the second and last phase of polling for the 90-member state assembly.
7,200 personnel deployed, international border sealed off in Mizoram
Of the 1,276 polling stations across Mizoram, 149 are remote voting centres, and 30 along the inter-state and international borders have been declared critical and vulnerable.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made with 7,200 personnel deployed across the state to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections, the officials said.
The 510-km-long international border with Myanmar and the 318-km boundary with Bangladesh have been sealed ahead of the polling of assembly constituencies.
The counting of the votes will take place on December 3.
