There was a significant drop in the number of Government officials who exercised their franchise through postal ballots during the lok Sabha polls.It is evident from the fact that barely 5 per cent of the Government employees cast votes through postal ballots during the lok Sabha polls compared to the total number of postal ballots cast by them during the assembly polls in the State.
Only three postal ballots were received in Rajnandgaon constituency out of which two were rejected and the single vote went to the BJP.Even in significantly low number of postal ballots, the BJP maintained its lead over the Congress in 10 constituencies except in Bastar where both the parties received 7 votes each.According to records available from the assembly polls held six months ago, as many as 56,326 postal ballots were received out of which 9,822 were rejected. But in the lok Sabha election 2014, only 2,623 postal ballots were received out of which 595 were rejected.
In Kanker constituency, as many as 314 postal ballots were found valid and 137 were rejected. Out of these, the Congress received 92 votes, the BJP 105 votes and three votes went in the favour of NOTA. In Bastar only 14 votes were found valid and 59 were rejected. Both the Congress and BJP received seven votes each.
In Mahasamund constituency, 371 postal ballots were found valid and 45 were rejected. Out of these, the Congress received 106 votes, the BJP 240 and two in the name of NOTA. Similarly, in Raipur constituency 84 votes were found valid and 27 were rejected. Out of these the Congress received 26 and the BJP 53 while NOTA received one vote only.
In Durg constituency, 29 votes were found valid, 19 were rejected, seven votes went to the Congress while the BJP received 18 votes.In Rajnandgaon constituency, out of total three postal ballots, two were rejected and the single vote went to Chief Minister Raman Singh’s son Abhishek Singh of the BJP.
In Bilaspur constituency-- 466 votes were found valid and 126 were rejected. The Congress received 147 and the BJP received 284 while three votes went to NOTA. Korba constituency has highest 640 valid votes after 119 rejections. The Congress received 221 and the BJP 352 while 11 votes went to NOTA. In Janjgir-Champa constituency, 22 postal ballots were found valid and 20 were rejected. Out of these two went to the Congress and 13 to the BJP.
In Raigarh constituency 49 votes were found valid and 33 were rejected. The Congress received 13 and the BJP 30 while NOTA received two votes only.In Sarguja constituency out of total 24 postal ballots 16 were found valid out of which 11 went to the BJP and five to the Congress.