Nearly 72 per cent voting was recorded till 6 pm as polling came to a close in the second and final phase of Chhattisgarh assembly elections, the Election Commission announced this evening. However, the number is likely to go up as these are provisional figures. The 2013 elections saw a 77.8 per cent turnout. More than one lakh personnel, helicopters and drones kept a vigil to ensure smooth polling. After a promising 76.28 per cent turnout in the 18-seat first phase in Maoist-affected areas, the second phase saw voting for 72 seats spread across 19 districts. More than 1.5 crore people were eligible to vote in over 19,000 polling booths, deciding the fates of many high-profile leaders.
