Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2023 phase 2: Check timings, key candidates & constituencies

Ruling Congress asserts its anticipation of securing over 75 seats out of the total 90, while BJP aims to stage a comeback in the state it governed for 15 years

Polling for 70 seats in the second and final phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections will be held on Friday.

The first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh took place on November 7 and the second phase will be held on Friday. (ANI)

The ruling Congress asserts its anticipation of securing over 75 seats out of the total 90 in the current election, while the BJP aims to stage a comeback in the state it governed continuously for 15 years from 2003 to 2018. Out of the 70 Assembly segments, 44 are designated as general, 17 for Scheduled Tribes, and 9 for Scheduled Caste.

Chhattisgarh Chief Electoral Officer Reena Babasaheb Kangale speaking at a press conference said on Thursday, "The second phase of voting for Chhattisgarh legislative assembly will be held tomorrow. In the second phase, voting will be done on around 70 legislative assembly regions in 22 districts. The time for voting for all 70 legislative assemblies will be 8am to 5pm."

Voting hours for all 70 constituencies are scheduled from 8 am to 5 pm, with the exception of nine polling booths in the Naxal-affected Bindranawagarh seat in Rajim district. In this specific area, voting will take place from 7 am to 3 pm. The polling booths affected by Naxal presence and subject to the adjusted time frame include Kamarbhaudi, Amamora, Odh, Bade Gobra, Ganwargaon, Gariba, Nagesh, Sahbinkachhar, and Kodomali.

Election officials report a total of 958 candidates, comprising 827 men, 130 women, and one transgender individual, vying for victory across 70 constituencies spanning 22 districts. The electorate for the second phase of the two-phased polls to the 90-member assembly is 1,63,14,479 voters. Among the candidates, both the BJP and Congress each have 70, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has 44, Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) has 62, and Hamar Raj Party has 33 contenders in the fray for the second phase. Additionally, the Bahujan Samaj Party and Gondvana Gantantra Party are running in alliance, fielding 43 and 26 candidates, respectively.

Here are the key constituencies and candidates in the second phase:

• Raipur City West is the constituency with the highest number of candidates — 26 contestants.
• Patan, a prominent seat with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel contesting and BJP has fielded his distant nephew and party MP Vijay Baghel. Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) has fielded the state president and son of former chief minister Ajit Jogi, Amit Jogi.
• Ambikapur is another significant where Congress has fielded deputy chief minister TS Singh Deo. BJP has fielded Rajesh Agrawal, who quit Congress ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections.
• Sakti is a constituency where Assembly Speaker Charan Das Mahant has been fielded by the Congress party.
• Congress has fielded its ministers — Tamradhwaj Sahu from Durg Rural, Ravindra Choubey from Saja, Jai Singh Agrawal from Korba, Umesh Patel from Kharsia, Kawasi Lakhma from Konta, Shiv Kumar Daharia from Arang, and Amarjeet Singh Bhagat from Sitapur.
• BJP's State Unit Chief Arun Sao has been fielded from Lormi, Leader of Opposition Narayan Chandel from Janjgir-Champa, Union Minister Renuka Singh from Bharatpur-Sonhat-ST and MP Gomti Sai from Pathalgaon-ST.
• BJP has also fielded former ministers Brijmohan Agrawal from Raipur South, Ajay Chandrakar from Kurud, and Punnulal Mohile from Mungeli.