It was a polling day typical to a summer season with a scorching sun and long queues which could not deter voters to stand out patiently in front of polling centres across seven lok Sabha constituencies of Raipur, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Korba, Janjgir-Champa, Surguja and Durg to participate in the country’s biggest democratic exercise on Thursday.
In Raipur lok Sabha constituency, high enthusiasm and brisk voting was reported from almost all polling centres with rural pockets dominating the turnout of voters. The voters turned out in large numbers in the first four hours of voting in the Assembly segments of Raipur lok Sabha constituency.
In urban Raipur, there were large queues witnessed especially in the polling centres near the slum clusters in almost the entire city since morning. There were also reports of dozens of EVMs malfunctioning in many of the polling centres in the constituency.
Then turnout also slowed down in the rural parts of the constituency during the peak noon hours and again improving after around 4 pm. Polling in all the lok Sabha constituencies commenced at 7 in the morning with an overwhelming turnout.
One of the significant aspect of polling was that people in all the seven lok Sabha constituencies utilised their holiday to perform their national duty first by queuing up to cast their vote before performing their routine work.
However, in large number of polling centres the voters complained of lack of sufficient shades which aggravated their discomfort while standing in the heat to cast their vote.
Typical of the second phase of polling in Chhattisgarh, women and youth dominated the number of voters in the queues in the rural pockets with many using other document alternatives allowed by the Election Commission to cast their vote.
Honeybees attack voters, polling staff
In Jashpur, coming under Surguja lok Sabha seat, an unusual situation of honey bees attacking polling staff and voters was reported in a polling centre at Jikki village in Bagicha Development Block compelling the polling work to stop twice in a polling centre.
The honeybees attacked voters at another polling centre at Amera Duggu village in Ambikapur district.
The attack by honeybees delayed voting by two hours at the polling centres during the morning hours in the Surguja lok Sabha consituency. There were reports of 7 or 8 voters and polling staff getting bitten by the honeybees which suddenly attacked voters when their beehive got disturbed on a tree near the polling centre.
Inebriated Presiding Officer suspended
There was also a report of a Presiding Officer arrive drunk at in Kasdol at booth number 132 who was handed over to the police.
Similarly, at Marwahi’s booth number 25 there was a report of Congress workers creating a ruckus over their complaint of a woman voter casting vote in the name of another woman.
At many of the polling centres, voters aged over 80 years and the disabled voted despite unbearable heat during the noon hours.There were reports of EVMs developing snags were also reported which delayed polling in certain centres in the six lok sabha constituencies apart from Raipur. There were reports of EVMs developing a snag in Champaran, Navapara-Rajim, Surajpur and Bilaspur which delayed polling in some of the polling centres of the regions.
Head Master dies of heart attack
There was also a report of a Head Teacher dying in a village after suffering a heart attack in the Janjgir-Champa lok Sabha constituency as he was collecting poll material to proceed on duty.
Villagers refuse to vote at Junwani
At Junwani village of Raigarh lok Sabha constituency voters boycotted polls during the morning hours which delayed polling in the region. The villagers were demanding basic facilities for their village. There were also reports of polling centres being shifted in polling centers of Deverbeda, Dundra and Sahalia in the Bilaigarh Assembly segment coming under Janjgir-Champa lok Sabha constituency.
The candidates of all the seven lok Sabha constituencies voted in their respective home towns alongwith their supporters.