So, the Semifinal of the Big Political has marked the beginning from the Chattisgarh Polls..The first phase of assembly polls in Chhattisgarh’s 18 constituencies of Bastar region and Rajnandgaon district on Monday saw 50% voters exercising their franchise in the first few hours amid Maoist violence in many areas.

Chief Minister Raman Singh and his three ministers in the BJP government are among 143 candidates contesting from 12 constituencies in Bastar division and six constituencies of Rajnandgaon district with an electorate of 29,33,200 in the first of the two-phase polls to the 90-member Legislative Assembly.

A CRPF jawan was killed in Naxal firing in Dantewada

Initially, majority of polling booths in jungle areas of Bastar region wore a deserted look, possibly due to Maoist diktat. However, in urban areas such as Jagdalpur town, * town and in Rajnandgaon city, polling began at a routine pace and in several booths long queues were seen even before balloting started. In Rajnandgaon seat, where BJP candidate and Chief Minister Raman Singh is contesting, women and youth were seen in large numbers lining up at polling booths.

At present, Chattisgarh has the Govt. of BJP, and this time also Singh, who is trying for a hattrick against the Congress, is contesting from Rajnandgaon where Naxals struck on poll eve. Two ITBP jawans were injured in an IED blast triggered by Naxals when a polling party was heading towards Baldongri booth.