Security has been stepped up at 3,339 polling booths across the State for the first phase of the voting on Monday as the ruling BJP and the Congress lock in a straight fight.
In the first phase, voting would be held for 10 Municipal Corporations, 19 Municipal Councils and 22 Nagar Panchayats. Over 2.7 million voters including 1.3 million women, are eligible to exercise their franchise on Monday. Extra security arrangements have been put in place for Naxal-hit Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, Dantewada, Bijapur, Bastar and Kanker districts where leftist insurgents have put up banners and ordered voters to stay away from polling.
Choppers have also been kept ready to ferry polling parties or evacuate security staff in case of any untoward incidents. In insurgency-hit areas, polling will be held between 7 am to 3 pm while in remaining areas, the voting timing is 8 am to 5 pm. State Election Commissioner PC Dalei informed that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) would be used for the first in Chhattisgarh’s urban bodies polls. Voters will have the None of The Above (NOTA) option as well. The voting for the second and the final phase would be held on Dec 31 while counting would take place on January 4.