A representative image of a person casting vote.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Raipur: More than 2.05 crore persons, including 1.03 crore women and 1.01 crore men, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh, officials said on Sunday.
The number of voters has increased by 15,14,013 (7.96 per cent) since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and by 1,20,092 (0.6 per cent) since the 2023 state assembly elections, Chief Electoral Officer Reena Babasaheb Kangale told reporters.
A total of 2,855 persons aged 100 and above, 5,77,184 in the age group of 18-19 and 1,91,638 'divyang' (those with disabilities) persons are among the electors in the state, she said.
There are 19,905 service voters, 17 Non-Resident Indian (NRI) electors and 47,11,890 in 20-29 age bracket, the official said.
Elections to the 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh will be held in three phases on April 19, April 26 and May 7 and votes will be counted on June 4.
As on February 8, the state has 2,05,13,252 voters, including 1,01,80,405 males, 1,03,32,115 females and 732 transgender persons, Kangale said.
The state's elector-population ratio is 66.70 while there are??? 1,015 women per 1,000 men in the voter gender ratio, she said.
There are 24,229 polling centres, including 24,109 main polling stations and 120 assistant polling stations.
Of the total polling stations, 900 will be 'sangwari' booths (managed by women personnel), 450 'adrash' polling booths while 90 booths each will be managed by persons with disabilities and youth.
Senior citizens above 85 years of age, persons with disabilities (more than 40 percent disability) and those infected by Covid-19 will be able to cast vote from home through postal ballots, the official said.
Eleven returning officers for as many Lok Sabha seats and 90 assistant returning officers have been notified and they have been provided training for conducting the polls, she said.
Out of the 11 parliamentary constituencies in the state, four are reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) and one for Scheduled Caste (SC) category candidates.
The Naxal-hit Bastar (ST) constituency will witness polling on April 19 in the first phase, while voting in three other constituencies - Kanker (ST), Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund - will be held in the second phae on April 26.
Polling in the other seven Lok Sabha seats - Surguja (ST), Raigarh (ST), Janjgir-Champa (SC), Raipur, Durg, Korba and Bilaspur will be held on May 7.