BJP confident of winning Chhattisgarh again, says Raman Singh

Hoping for peaceful elections in the state, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Friday asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would definitely form the government again.

"BJP will form government in Chhattisgarh again. I also hope the elections will be peaceful. All our national leaders will be campaigning in the state," he told media here today.

Earlier in the day, Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath announced the polling dates for five states, including Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram.

Addressing a news conference this afternoon, Sampath said elections for Chhattisgarh would be held first and in two phases-on November 11 and 19.

Elections in Madhya Pradesh would be held on November 25. Elections in Rajasthan would be held on December 1, while elections in Delhi and Mizoram would be held on December 4, he added.

He also said that all measures are in place to conduct free and fair polls, including elaborate security arrangements.

He announced that for the first time, the Election Commission would be deploying Central Awareness Observers to motivate voters to exercise their franchise in a bid to increase the voter turnout.

Taking note of the Supreme Court's recent ruling, giving voters the right to reject candidates in the electoral fray, Sampath said the Election Commission is taking adequate measures to educate both voters and officials deployed for election duty for the same.

He said the counting of votes for all five states would take place on December 8.