The first trend for the counting of 11 lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh may be available by 9 am, just an hour after the counting of votes to begin at 26 centres across the State.
The contest on all 11 seats in Chhattisgarh is entirely between State's ruling BJP and the Congress though altogether 211 candidates are in the fray including 22 women.
"The first trend is expected by 9 am, just one hour after the counting of postal ballot would commence (8 am) and barely half an hour after EVM votes count (8.30 am) to begin, top election officials informed.
The BJP, which is in power in the mineral-rich State since December 2003, claimed on Thursday “it would make a clean sweep” while the Congress maintained “a highly improved show by the party this time”.
The BJP had won 10 out of the 11 seats in 2004 as well as in 2009 lok Sabha polls.
On eve of vote counting, Chief Minister Raman Singh stated, “Congress will draw a blank in Chhattisgarh, I am sure the BJP would win all 11 seats to create a history.”
BJP sources say that a thumping win for the BJP will reassert authority of Singh in party in the State and will further increase his political stature in Delhi. The BJP has decked up its State party headquarters, Ekatm Parisar, and crackers have been kept stored which would light up Raipur sky for hours in evening period in case the party stages a comeback in power at the Centre.
Meanwhile, Congress veteran and former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi whose political fate hangs in balance on poll outcome of Mahasamund seat, reiterated, “Congress would notch up a far better performance than what is widely anticipated”.
Sources in the Congress claim that a repeat of 2009 polls for the Congress would trigger a fresh bitter war within the party in State as three potential camps led by Jogi, State chief Bhupesh Baghel and Union Minister of State Charandas Mahant respectively, have already kept a lengthy list ready to dash off to party High Command about ‘sabotage’ engineered by Congress seniors against each others during the three-phase poll in the State.