Chhattisgarh recorded 72 per cent polling on Tuesday in the second and concluding phase for 72 Assembly seats across 19 districts amid allegations of EVM tampering and malfunctioning in several areas. Amid higher turnout, BJP, Congress and JCC-BSP alliance claimed victory ahead of results on December 11.
The Election Commission said that polling percentage could go up to 76-78 per cent as it was still in the process of compiling data. The EC rejected the allegations of widespread malfunctioning of the voting machines and asserted that faulty EVMs were promptly replaced without any disruption to the voting process.
Tuesday’s polling has sealed fate of nine Cabinet Ministers of Chhattisgarh’s BJP Government and four chief ministerial contenders from the Congress. Chhattisgarh’s Chief Electoral Officer Subrat Sahoo told reporters that polling was peaceful and from first-time voters to centenarians, people from all walks of life queued up to cast their votes at 19,336 polling booths.
Among the oldest of 1.54 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise were 106-year-old Samudri Patel from Baikunthpur in Korea district and 102-year-old Raj Kunwar from Boriyakala in Raipur district.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh who is heading the BJP Government in the mineral-rich State since December 2003, claimed that the BJP would form Government for the record fourth successive term.
“Voters are coming out in large numbers from their houses to exercise their franchise to keep the BJP in power to spur growth in the State,’’ Singh remarked at Kawardha town after casting his vote along with his spouse Veena Singh.
The Congress which is desperate to return to power, too claimed that people voted against BJP regime to get rid of corruption. A Congress delegation led by Congress national general secretary PL Punia met the EC in the national Capital over the alleged “attempts to misuse and tamper with EVMs in Chhattisgarh”.
Punia said the BJP “wary of losing the polls, was trying to influence the polling process through malpractices”.
“People want a Congress Government. There are reports coming in from majority of areas about heavy polling against the BJP Government, Congress is all set to form the next Government,’’ remarked Charandas Mahant after casting his vote with family members in Korba. The former Union Minister Mahant is one of the top contenders for the chief ministerial post if the Congress is voted to power.
Meanwhile, the former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, who made the 2018 polls a three-way fight in Chhattisgarh after having an alliance with the BSP, announced that people have cast votes in bulk only to see him as the next Chief Minister.
“Don’t be in confusion the JCC-BSP alliance is going to produce shocker for the Congress as well as for the BJP on December 11 when results to be announced’’ Jogi told reporters.
Chhattisgarh has total 90 Assembly seats and polling for 18 seats was held on November 12.
