70 per cent voting recorded across 18 constituencies in first phase of Assembly polls

70 per cent voting recorded across 18 constituencies in first phase of Assembly polls:-

Raipur: 70 per cent voting was recorded across 18 constituencies of Bastar and Rajnandgaon till 3 PM in the first phase of Assembly election in Chhattisgarh, where violence by Naxals who have called for a poll boycott left a CRPF jawan dead. Naxals ambushed a team of election personnel when they were returning after conclusion of polling in Katekalyan area of Dantewada district in south Chhattisgarh, killing Central Reserve Police Force jawan B Joseph of 186 battalion. Also, over ten bombs, including a 10 kg pipe bomb, were recovered and a policeman was injured in a bomb attack by Naxals since morning. "So far, around 70 percent polling has been registered," Joint Electoral Officer DD Singh said. Amid tight security, polling in thirteen Naxal-affected constituencies of Bastar and Rajnandgaon concluded at 3 PM, while in other five constituencies of Rajnandgaon, it will conclude by 5 PM.

Voting, however, failed to start in two 'hyper-sensitive' polling booths - Durgapur and Sitram -- in Kanker district as polling officials could not reach there owing to Naxal resistance. Ultras also looted EMV machines when a polling party was heading to their destination in Durgapur. Two polling booths in Panidobir area of Kanker were relocated to Gudabeda in Antagarh area due to Naxal threat. Rajendra Mahapatra, a presiding officer at Balinga polling booth of Kondagaon district, died of heart attack this morning, the official said. Another official was deputed there.

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