Gunfight Between Security Forces, Maoists Amid 1st Phase Of Chhattisgarh Polls

Amid the first phase of polling in Chhattisgarh, an encounter broke out between the security forces and Maoists in Kanker district on Tuesday.

The encounter broke out between the Border Security Force (BSF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Maoists in the Bande police station area amid the first phase of polling in the state.

The officials informed that AK47 was recovered from the site and a search operation is underway in the area.

Another encounter between DRG and Maoists happened near Panawar at around 1 pm today, according to the officials.

Also, earlier today as the polling was progressing, Maoists fired at DRG personnel deployed near Banda polling station.

Sukma Police said that security forces retaliated, leading to a ten-minute exchange of fire before the Maoists stopped their attack.

The personnel were deployed for duty in the outer cordon around 2 kilometres away from the Banda polling state.

Of the 20 assembly constituencies that voted in today's polls, multiple districts are naxal-infested.

Chhattisgarh, which has a 90-member house is undergoing elections in two phases, with the second phase scheduled for November 17.

Of the 20 constituencies that are witnessing polling in the state, 12 are from the Bastar division.

Voting is being held in constituencies that are Naxal-affected and fall in districts like Bastar, Dantewada, Kanker, Kabeerdham, and Rajnandgaon.

70.87 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in Chhattisgarh in the first phase of polling in 20 assembly seats in the state, according to Election Commission data at 5 pm.

The counting of votes is scheduled for December 3.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)