The second phase of elections in Chhattisgarh unfolded with a mix of incidents, including clashes and unfortunate events, yet maintaining an overall sense of peace.
The election on seventy assembly seats in the second phase remained peaceful, with a tentative voter turnout recorded at 70.93% at 5 PM on Friday. While Raipur witnessed the lowest voting at 58.83%, Balod recorded the highest voter turnout at 82.79%.
In the Naxal-affected Gariyaband district, a jawan of ITBP deployed in Bindranawagarh lost his life in a landmine trigger. The martyred jawan, identified as Joginder Singh, was on election duty when the incident occurred on Friday evening.
In Balodabazar district’s Kasdol assembly constituency, a tragic incident unfolded at polling booth number 76. A sixty-year-old woman, identified as Sahodara Bai, waiting in the queue suddenly collapsed and passed away. The Election Officer, Bhupendera Agarwal, confirmed her death, attributing it to a cardiac arrest.
Despite the overall peaceful conduct, some incidents of clash and violence were reported from Sarguja’s Sitapur, Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur areas. However, voters sealed the fate for 958 candidates (827 men, 130 women, and one third gender) participating in the second phase of polling.
District-wise voting percentages varied across the region:
Balod: 82.79%
Balodabazar-Bhatapara: 72.51%
Balrampur: 74.46%
Bemetara: 76.70%
Bilaspur: 62.77%
Dhamtari: 79.89%
Durg: 69.36%
Gariyaband: 75%
Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi: 78%
Janjgir-Champa: 69.95%
Jashpur: 71.41%
Korba: 73.31%
Korea: 73.56%
Mahasamund: 73.53%
Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur: 76.65%
Mungeli: 65.24%
Raigarh: 75.16%
Raipur: 58.83%
Sakti: 68.43%
Sarangarh-Bilaigarh: 74.58%
Surajpur: 80.12%
Surguja: 67.71%
The elections have sealed the fate of major political figures from both Congress and BJP. Notable figures include Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey, Urban Development Minister Shiv Deharia, PHE Minister Rudra Guru, PWD Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, Deputy CM TS Singh Deo, Sports Minister Umesh Patel, Speaker Charan Das Mahant, Minister Amarjeet Bhagat, CM Baghel’s aide Devendra Yadav, and others.
For BJP, high-profile leaders such as MLA Brijmohan Agarwal, former Minister Rajesh Munat, former Health Minister Amar Agarwal, MP and BJP State President Arun Sao, Union State Minister Renuka Singh, former IAS OP Choudhary, and others are facing a crucial test.
Despite the discussions around agricultural loan waiver and increased paddy procurement prices, the election day witnessed a neck-to-neck fight between BJP and Congress. The impact of agriculture loan waiver and promises related to paddy procurement are significant topics among more than 2 million farmer families in this election.
