RAIPUR: With the poll notification out on Tuesday, the process of filling nominations began for the 18 seats in the first of the two-phase Chhattisgarh elections.
The nominations can be filed till October 23, and the scrutiny of the relevant submitted papers will be on October 24. The candidate can withdraw their names by October 26. The polling for the first phase will be held on November 12.
While the regional outfit of former chief minister Ajit Jogi, who has entered into a pre-poll alliance with Mayawati’s BSP, and the AAP have already declared their candidates, the BJP and the Congress are yet to announce their contestants.
The Bastar division has seven districts having 12 seats — all predominantly tribals. In Bastar, the Congress won eight seats and the BJP four in 2013.
The Rajnandgaon district has six assembly segments, out of which the BJP has two (including one of Raman Singh) and the Congress is in remaining four.
About 32 lakh people will exercise their franchise on November 12. The total population in the 18 constituencies is 52 lakh. Barring Rajnandgaon seat, all the remaining 17 seats have the presence of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), which has already given a call for poll boycott.
Two air-ambulance and four choppers will be placed at the divisional headquarter during the polls to meet any emergency situation. Among the five states going to the polls, Chhattisgarh is the only one where the Election Commission of India has declared polling in two phases.