Chhattisgarh Election LIVE Updates: Polling Ends, 67.70% Voter Turnout Till 5 PM
Chhattisgarh election 2023 Voting LIVE Updates: Catch all live updates here.
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Chhattisgarh Elections Phase 2 Voting LIVE Updates: Voting for 70 Chhattisgarh Assembly seats concluded at 5:00 PM on Friday, 17 November, and a voter turnout of 67.70 percent was recorded till 5 pm.
Polling for 20 seats had been held during the first phase of the election on 7 November. The Chhattisgarh Assembly has a total of 90 seats.
The polls saw a keen contest between the incumbent Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Elections for all 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh were also held on Friday.
Polling went on till 5 pm, except in nine Naxal-affected polling booths in the Bindranawagarh constituency, where ballots were cast from 7 am to 3 pm.
958 candidates, including 827 men, 130 women, and one transgender person, are in the fray.
The key candidates from the Congress in phase 2 of the Assembly elections include CM Bhupesh Baghel, Deputy CM TS Singh Deo, Assembly Speaker Charan Das Mahant, and eight state ministers, including Ravindra Choubey and Tamrdhwaj Sahu.
Key candidates from the BJP include Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh, MP Arun Sao, MP Gomti Sai, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly Narayan Chandel, and several former ministers.
The first phase of the polls had seen a voter turnout of 78 percent.
Incumbent Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel casts his vote in Durg.
Incumbent Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel casts his vote in Durg.
Incumbent Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel casts his vote in Durg.
Incumbent Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo casts his vote in Durg.
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70 Seats Headed to Polls
The second phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections will be held on Friday, 17 November. Seventy of the total 90 seats in the Assembly will be heading to the polls on Friday. Polling for 20 seats had been held during the first phase of the election on 7 November.
Naxal-Affected Booths To See Polling From 7 AM
Polling will be held from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, except in nine Naxal-affected polling booths in the Bindranawagarh constituency, where ballots will be cast from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Key Candidates in the Fray
The key candidates from the Congress in the second phase are CM Bhupesh Baghel, Deputy CM TS Singh Deo, Assembly Speaker Charan Das Mahant, and eight ministers, including Ravindra Choubey and Tamrdhwaj Sahu.
Key candidates from the BJP include Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh, MP Arun Sao, MP Gomti Sai, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly Narayan Chandel and several former ministers.
Opinion: Baghel's Sub-Nationalism Enough to Stop BJP's Recovery?
A fortnight back, if you asked anyone in Chhattisgarh about the results of the 2023 Assembly elections, the simple reply would have been that it would be a cakewalk for the Congress party.
Some may have even gone a step ahead and predicted up to 65 seats (out of 90) for the grand old party and up to 24 seats for the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party).
But two weeks is a long time in politics.
The BJP now seems to be giving the Congress a run for every vote. The reasons were clearly missed by most political pundits watching the Chhattisgarh polls.
Read the full analysis here.
Polling Begins in Chhattisgarh
Voting in the second phase of the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections commenced at 8am on Friday, 17 November.
70 of the total 90 seats are in the fray.
PM Modi Urges Chhattisgarh Voters To Cast Ballots
"Today is the second and last round of voting in Chhattisgarh assembly elections. I request all the voters to exercise their franchise. Your every vote is valuable for democracy," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted in Hindi on Friday morning.
Chhattisgarh BJP Prez Arun Sao Offers Prayers
Chhattisgarh BJP president and party's candidate from Lormi, Arun Sao offered prayers at a temple in Bilaspur as voting began, news agency ANI reported.
Chhattisgarh Elections Phase 2: Why These 5 Seats Will Be Closely Watched
The ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are all set to lock horns in 70 out of the 90 Assembly constituencies scheduled to vote in the second phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections 2023 on Friday, 17 November.
So, as the state prepares to decide the political destiny of 958 candidates, let's deep-dive into the seats that will be closely watched.
'Considering Win In 74 Seats': Chhattisgarh Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu After Casting His Vote
Chhattisgarh Minister and Congress candidate from Durg Rural, Tamradhwaj Sahu casts his vote at a polling booth in Durg.
After casting his vote, Sahu told news agency ANI, "In this mahaparv of democracy, I appeal to everyone to cast vote in large numbers. It is the mahaparv to elect good public representatives and everyone must participate in it...There is great enthusiasm in voters. Congress will get absolute majority. We are considering more than 74 seats."
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel Urges Citizens To Cast Vote
"Each of your votes will ensure the victory of Chhattisgarh. I urge you to step out of your house and cast your vote," Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel posted on microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter).
Rahul Gandhi Urges Voters To Cast Their Ballot In Large Numbers
'BJP Will Form Government in Chhattisgarh': Former CM Raman Singh
"The BJP is ahead in 14 of 20 seats that went for polls in the first phase. The people of Chhattisgarh have realised that there is a BJP undercurrent in the state. We are sure that the BJP will form the government with a majority," former chief minister and senior BJP leader Raman Singh told ABP News.
He also accused the incumbent Congress government of corruption and being involved in multiple scams.
Priyanka Gandhi Urges Voters To Bless Congress in Chhattisgarh
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi posted on microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) that the people of Chhattisgarh have put their trust in the Congress and that the party has lived up to their expectations.
"The people of Chhattisgarh are very kind and hardworking. They can see through the lies and deceit of the rulers sitting in Delhi," she said.
Chhattisgarh Records Voter Turnout of 5.71% Till 9 AM
Chhattisgarh records voter turnout of 5.71 percent till 9.00 am. Voting is ongoing in phase-2 of elections and 70 seats witness a tight contest between the BJP and the Congress.
BJP Leader Dharamlal Kaushik Casts Vote in Bilaspur
BJP leader Dharamlal Kaushik casts his vote at polling booth number 211, in Bilaspur.
OPINION | Chhattisgarh: Can Anti-Corruption Rhetoric Be BJP’s Brahmastra in Face Off?
Can Mahadev, named after Shiva the Destroyer, do the trick for the BJP in a state where there is not much of an appeal for its usual Rama, named for Vishnu the Preserver?
We can certainly invoke such rich Hindu symbolism for Chhattisgarh strangely enough in a state where the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) usual northern appeal based on Hindutva does not cut much ice despite its ancient links to the epic Ramayana.
Assembly elections this month in Chhattisgarh come with a flavour distinct from anywhere else in India. Socio-economic issues are the real deal. It is not surprising that the Enforcement Directorate's pursuit of the alleged betting app Mahadev is being linked by the BJP to incumbent Congress Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in a payoff scandal.
Click here to read the full article written by Madhavan Narayanan.
Chhattisgarh Minister Amarjeet Bhagat Casts Vote in Sitapur
Chhattisgarh Minister Amarjeet Bhagat casts his vote in Sitapur, news agency PTI has reported.
Citizens Cast Votes in 70 of Total 90 Seats in Chhattisgarh
Voters in Dhamtari District, Chhattisgarh.
Voters in Dhamtari District, Chhattisgarh.
Voters in Raipur District, Chhattisgarh.
Voters in Raipur District, Chhattisgarh.
Senior citizen Prabhati Singh (82 years) casts her vote in Korba district.
'Never Been Projected By Congress for Chhattisgarh CM': TS Singh Deo
told news agency ANI, "My name has never been projected by the party for CM. We are fighting in a joint leadership, and Bhupesh Baghel is leading it... I haven't heard that my name is projected as CM."
Elections 2023: How Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh Fare on Free Speech
According to the ‘Free Speech in The States – Between Electoral Rhetoric and Ground Reality,’ report, 11 journalists were arrested in Chhattisgarh between 2018 and 2023, and seven have cases lodged against them. At least 12 journalists faced intimidation and threats of cases being registered against them.
Voter Turnout at 19.65% Till 11 AM
A voter turnout of 19.65% has been recorded till 11 am as polling continues in the state, ECI reported.
Chhattisgarh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan Casts Vote
After casting his vote at a polling booth in Raipur, Chhattisgarh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan told news agency ANI, "Casting vote is the democratic right of every citizen of the country. Democracy demands that all citizens should exercise their rights and by that they decide what sort of government they want in the state and at the Centre. We have come and cast our vote..."
Deputy CM TS Singh Dev Casts Vote
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Ambikapur TS Singh Dev casts his ballot at a polling booth in Rajmohini Devi Girls College.
BJP MP Saroj Pandey Casts Vote in Durg
After BJP MP Saroj Pandey cast her vote at a polling booth in Durg, she told reporters, "Surely, it's a huge occassion for democracy. Everybody should play their part in this... I believe that this is the direction in favour of the BJP...In the last five years, Chhattisgarh's face has changed and its identity has been established as 'Apradhgarh' due to corruption."
'75 Paar Hoga': CM Baghel's Son as Chhattisgarh Votes For 70 Seats
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's son Chaitanya Baghel told news agency ANI, "Congress is making the government. As our CM has said, 75 paar hoga so definitely 75 paar hoga... Since morning, I have gone to 50 booths... Workers are filled with energy."
'Long Queue of Women Voters to Vote For BJP in Chhattisgarh': Former CM Raman Singh
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and BJP leader Raman Singh told reporters, "Till now, according to the news we are getting, 20–23% of the voting has been done... We can see the undercurrent in the whole of Chhattisgarh."
Glimpses of Polling from Sarguja District in Chhattisgarh
Voters from Sarguja district in Chhattisgarh.
Voters wait patiently for their turn to enter the polling booth in the ongoing Chattisgarh Phase II elections.
Glimpses from Sarguja district.
A woman voter from Sarguja district in Chhattisgarh.
Chhattisgarh Records Turnout of 38.22% Till 1 PM
CM Bhupesh Baghel Casts Vote in Patan, Durg Distt.
Incumbent chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel cast his vote at a polling booth in Kurdi in Chhattisgarh. He has represented the Patan constituency since 2013 and from 2003 to 2008.
"Good news is coming from everywhere. People are reaching the polling booth and exercising their voting rights. I appeal to those who are at home to cast their vote... Everywhere there is a one-sided environment, the trust is on Congress..." Baghel said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
'Election Victory Bigger Than 2018': Bhupesh Baghel
Has Bhupesh Baghel's Congress Govt In Chhattisgarh Really 'Beaten' Unemployment?
According to data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) in December last year, the unemployment rate in Chhattisgarh for the month of November 2022 was 0.1 -- the lowest in the country.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate of India during the same time was recorded at 8.2%, while its parent state Madhya Pradesh recorded an unemployment rate of 6.2%.
ITBP Jawan Killed in IED Blast
An Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawan was killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast allegedly carried out by Naxalites in Gariaband district.
The incident took place near Bade Gobra village under Mainpur police station area when a polling team escorted by security personnel was returning after conducting voting, a senior police official said.
Polling Ends
Voting for 70 Chhattisgarh Assembly seats concluded at 5:00 PM on Friday, 17 November, and a voter turnout of 67.70 percent was recorded till 5 pm.