RAIPUR: The voter turnout in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh underway in the three constituencies — Kanker, Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund, was 11.25 percent till 9 am.
Voting began at 7 am amid thick security cover across the Naxal-affected segments that fall under the three seats, where the people were seen turning-up enthusiastically in most of the polling booths.
For various remotely located and hyper-sensitive polling stations, the staff were air-lifted on Wednesday. The challenge remains to ensure free, peaceful and credible polling in areas having the presence of outlawed CPI-Maoist.
However, a teacher, who was on election duty at a polling booth in Kanker district, died of a heart attack, an official said.
The deceased, Tukalu Ram Nareti, an assistant teacher in a government school, was deputed as the polling officer at Kamta booth (no.186) in Antagarh area of Kanker Lok Sabha constituency where voting was underway, the official from the local administration said.
Kureti complained of chest pain around 6 am and fell unconscious at the polling station.
He was immediately rushed to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead, the official said.
The body was sent for postmortem, he said. Another officer was deployed at the polling booth in place of Nareti, he added.
There are as many as 36 candidates in the fray in the three Lok Sabha constituencies whose fate will be decided by 49 lakh voters. The women voters outnumbered men in Masasamund and Kanker.
The ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh which returned to power after 15 years registering landslide victory in Assembly elections hopes to revive its prospects and improve the tally in the state against the BJP, which had won 10 out of 11 seats in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
(With PTI inputs)