Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2023: First phase voting for 20 seats today | Know key players, poll issues

The first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections for 20 seats, including several in the Naxal-affected Bastar division, will be held on Tuesday. This phase will decide the fate of 223 candidates, including 25 women, with approximately 4,078,681 voters, comprising 1,993,937 males, 2,084,675 females, and 69 third-gender individuals exercising their right to vote. A total of 5,304 polling booths have been set up for this phase.

In this first phase, ten assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh will vote in two-time slots. Voting will occur between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. in ten seats: Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Konta. In Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Pandariya, and Kawardha Bastar, Jagdalpur, and Chitrakot, votes will be cast between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The Chhattisgarh Assembly elections have pitted Congress against the BJP in a crucial test before the 2024 elections. The state is currently governed by the Congress, led by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Key seats and candidates in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh elections include:

Rajnandgaon: Former Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh is contesting from this seat, with Congress’ Giris Devangan as his rival.

Konta: Chhattisgarh minister Kawasi Lakhma, representing Congress, has faced the BJP’s Soyam Muka in this Congress stronghold for 20 years.

Kondagaon: Sitting MLA and former state Congress chief Mohan Markam competes against the BJP’s new state vice president, Lata Usendi.

Bahnupratappur: Savita Mandavi, wife of the late MLA Manoj Mandavi, is a contestant from this seat.

Chitrakoot: BJP’s Vinayak Goyal faces Chhattisgarh Congress president and MP Deepak Baij.

Kawardha: Congress MLA Mohammad Akbar, transport minister in Bhupesh Baghel’s government, faces the BJP’s Vijay Sharma.

Keshkal: Deputy Speaker and two-time MLA Santram Netam faces former IAS officer Neelkanth Tekam of the BJP.

Narayanpur: The seat will see an intense contest between BJP heavyweight Kedar Kashyap and Congress’ Chandan Kashyap.

What’s at stake for Congress?

The Congress currently holds 19 of these 20 seats, including two won in bypolls. In the 2018 Assembly polls, the Congress secured victory in 17 of these 20 seats, the BJP won two, and the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh secured one.

Key issues

During the first phase of campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel over the alleged Mahadev betting app scam, while other BJP leaders focused on religious conversion, law and order issues, and corruption.

The BJP campaign emphasised their party’s promises as “Modi’s guarantees,” while the Congress highlighted the welfare schemes implemented by the Baghel government, including those for farmers, women, tribals, and Dalits, along with a promise to waive farm loans if they retain power.

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