Around 70% Polling In Chhattisgarh Phase 1 Amid Maoist Threat | Read

Polling has ended in 18 seats in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-hit areas. The remaining 72 constituencies will vote on November 20. The BJP government led by Chief Minister Raman Singh is looking to hold on to power for a fourth term. The Congress campaign is trying to swing votes by promising to keep farmers happy and not letting unchecked development bulldoze the interest of fragile communities in the Maoist-hit state. Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi's new party is also in fray, in alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party. The Congress, which failed to seal a deal with the Dalit powerhouse, fears the combination will dent its chances. "I have been told that people in large numbers are voting in the (Maoist-hit) Bastar region," PM Modi said at a rally in Bilaspur for the second phase.