Assembly elections Highlights: Voting for Mizoram, Chhattisgarh phase 1 concludes, over 70% voter turnout recorded

Kedar Kashyap (Narayanpur)

Mahesh Gagda (Bijapur)

Vikram Usendi (Antagarh)

Lata Usendi (Kondagaon)

State Congress chief and Bastar MP Deepak Baij (Chitrakot seat)

Kawasi Lakhma (Konta)

Mohan Markam (Kondagaon)

Sitting Congress MLA Chandan Kashyap (Narayanpur)

Sitting Congress MLA Savitri Mandavi (Bhanupratappur)

Chhattisgarh in its first phase of polling recorded a voter turnout of 70.87 percent till 5 pm. The voting has now been concluded.

Voting concludes in Mizoram Assembly elections, sealing of EVMs and VVPATs begins at polling booth in Aizawl's Zarkwat.

Mizoram has registered a voter turnout of 69.86 percent till 3 pm.

Chhattisgarh has registered a voter turnout of 60.92 percent till 3 pm in the first phase of polling.

Union minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday campaigned for BJP candidate in Madhya Pradesh - WATCH.

An IED blast triggered by Naxalites and three different encounters between them and security personnel marred the first phase of polling underway in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. According to reports, three security persons, including a CRPF jawan have been injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a dig at the Congress government in Chhattisgarh, claiming that Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel's office is the “hub of corruption” in the state. He also accused Baghel of failing to contain Maoisim in the state.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah holds 'Rath Sabha' in Nagaur, Rajasthan - WATCH.

Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday slammed Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, saying he has crossed "all limits of appeasement" and asked the people of the state to uproot the Congress government. Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Kuchaman, he called Gehlot's government “the most corrupt.”

44.55% voter turnout has been reported in Chhattisgarh at 1 pm. Similarly, Mizoram reported 52.73% voter turnout at the same time.

"We have worked for 5 years. There is no anti-incumbency wave. Our guarantees are fabulous. We have given a health insurance cover of ₹25 lakh to the citizens. No other state is giving this... The manifesto will be released soon...We are giving pension of ₹1,000 to one crore people," Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot told reporters.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi started door-to-door campaign days after the party announced its candidates for the Telangana assembly elections. Owaisi hoped for CM K Chandrashekar Rao's victory in the upcoming state assembly elections. Speaking to the media, Owaisi said In Telangana the 9 candidates of Majlis are going to win with the Blessings and vote of the people and KCR will become the Chief Minister for the third term as well.

Teetar Singh, a 78-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)daily wage labourer from Rajasthan's Ganganagar has filed his nomination to contest the legislative assembly election for the 32nd time.

Singh, who has fought 31 elections from Gram Panchayat to Lok Sabha since 1970s but faced defeat every single time, is again trying his luck from Sri Karanpur assembly constituency for the November 25 polls. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Singh expressed his anger against the past state governments and his priorities if he is elected to power. Read more

22.9% voter turnout has been reported in Chhattisgarh at 11 am. Similarly, Mizoram reported 29.87% voter turnout at the same time.

Naxals fired at DRG personnel deployed for outer cordon around 2 kilometres away from Banda polling station this morning. The security forces retaliated and the firing from naxals' side stopped after 10 minutes. All the jawans are safe and voting is underway

While addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district, PM Modi alleged that crimes including human trafficking, drug dealing have increased under the Congress rule. He further blamed that grand old party of creating obstruction in Droupadi Murmu becoming the President. "You can't imagine how much Congress tried to stop (Droupadi Murmu from becoming the first Tribal President of India), but it was the BJP which ensured this honour to her," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived in Chhattisgarh to address a rally amid the undergoing phase 1 assembly polls, blowing the bugle for BJP's next round of campaigns in the run-up for phase 2 elections.

"The first phase of elections in Chhattisgarh is underway and as far as I have got to know, people are coming out to vote in large numbers... After independence, Adivasis did not exist for the Congress party. Congress never bothered about you or your children whereas BJP has always prioritised the development of Adivasis...Did you ever imagine that a woman coming out of an 'Adivasi' family could become the President of our country?

A 101-year-old voter set an example by casting his vote in the 24-Champhai South Assembly Constituency in Mizoram.

The centenarian, Pu Rualhnudala came to vote along with his 86-year-old wife, Pi Thanghleithluaii, setting couple goals in this season of assembly elections.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday accepted the challenge by Union home minister Amit Shah to debate on the work done by him in the past five years against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's in the past 15 years.

"Home Minister Shri Amit Shah! I have accepted your challenge by going to the same Pandaria Assembly where you had challenged me to debate on the work. You have not yet told the stage, date and time but the public has prepared the stage. Please tell me the date and time," Baghel posted on X along with a picture of black sofa, having the names of Amit Shah and Bhupesh Baghel on both sides. Read more

Chhattisgarh cheif minister Bhupesh Baghel claimed that maoist insurgency in the state has been reduced during his tenure after the work done in the last five years by the government. As the state goes to polls, CM Baghel expects higher voter turnout as compared with past elections.

"Earlier, big incidents used to happen, now small incidents are happening. I think this will also stop in the future. Naxalism has retreated to a great extent with the work we have done in 5 years. As a result, polling booths have been set up inside villages. People will vote in their village itself. There is a possibility of high voting percentage in naxal affected areas," he said.

Hitting out at Congress, Union minister Anurag Thakur took swipe at Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel who was allegedly found to have connections in the Mahadev betting app-money laundering case.

"Congress has always been in favour of black money... How could Bhupesh Baghel be left behind when the master is corrupt?" he asked, adding, "As I had already said, there's neither a leader nor a policy in the INDIA alliance. There is a flaw in their intentions too. Most of the leaders in this alliance are surrounded by corruption, they have come together just to save themselves."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reached Chhattisgarh where he will address a rally ahead of the second phase of assembly election.