Voters wait to cast their votes at a polling station during the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, Friday, April 19, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bhopal: Naxal-affected Bastar witnessed approximately 63.41 per cent voter turnout till 5.30 pm on Friday in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, which saw the death of a CRPF constable after a grenade went off accidentally. Besides, a CRPF officer was hurt in an IED blast in the same region.
Polling in the segment started at 7 am and was conducted in various time slots due to security reasons.
At least 60,000 state and paramilitary personnel were deployed across Bastar to ensure peaceful polling. CRPF constable Devendra Kumar (32) was killed when a shell of an under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) accidentally exploded in Galgam village in Bijapur district, which falls under Bastar constituency. In another incident, assistant commandant Manu HC of the CRPF was injured when an IED planted by Naxalites exploded in the same district.
Sources said the voters of Akabed polling station in Narayanpur, which is a 'critical' polling station, were given the choice of not having their finger inked after casting their votes as the Naxals had issued a call to boycott the election.
Out of the 11 LS seats in Chhattisgarh, only Bastar went to polls on Friday.
63.25% polling in MP
In the 1st phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections, six constituencies in Madhya Pradesh recorded 63.25% voter turnout till 5.30 pm on Friday. The figure, however, is likely to increase with the final reconciliation of EVM machines. No major untoward incidents were reported except for minor clashes between supporters of the BJP and the Congress in Chhindwara.
The six seats that went to polls on Friday are Shahdol (ST), Sidhi (Vindhya region), Jabalpur, Chhindwara, Balaghat and Mandla (ST). The Election Commission had set up 13,588 polling stations across 13 districts in the six constituencies.
Chhindwara had witnessed a lot of politicking and paragliding of VIPs especially on the BJP side. Former chief minister and congress veteran Kamal Nath’s son Nakul Nath is contesting against Vivek Bunty Sahu of BJP from here. The top BJP leaders including PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, national BJP president JP Nadda, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, state BJP president VD Sharma and others invested heavily by way of public meeting, roadshows etc. in Chhindwara to break the Nath citadel.
Polling in three Assembly seats in the Balaghat constituency ended at 4 pm as they are Naxalite-affected areas.
(With agency inputs)