Chhattisgarh polls: Campaign ends for first phase, polling on Monday

Campaigning for the first phase of state assembly elections concluded on Friday. Voting for 18 constituencies will be held on November 12.

The first phase of elections comprises 18 seats and these are distributed in eight Naxal-affected districts. Of these, 12 are Scheduled Tribe seats while one is a Scheduled Caste-reserved seat.

The polling for remaining 72 seats will take place on November 20. The counting of votes will take place on December 11. A total of 1,291 candidates are in the fray for the two-phased state polls.

In its manifesto, released earlier today, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promised several schemes and a "Naxal free" and "Naya Chhattisgarh" to woo the voters. While releasing the manifesto, party's national president Amit Shah asserted that the last 15 years rule of the BJP is a model of an ideal state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too jumped into the bandwagon of campaigners on Friday and attacked the Congress heavily while addressing a rally in Jagdalpur.

On Friday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi released his party's manifesto for the state, named as "People's Manifesto". The Congress in its manifesto has promised immediate loan waivers within 10 days, if voted to power. The party has also promised better healthcare facilities and a safer society for women in Chhattisgarh.

Gandhi left no stone unturned to hit out at the BJP. He addressed various rallies in the state and lashed out at the central and state government.

In the 2013 assembly elections, the BJP had bagged 49 seats, Congress got 39, Bahujan Samajwadi Party and Independent got one seat each in the 90-member House.