Strongly hopeful of third term: Raman Singh

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh Friday said he was "strongly hopeful" of a third win on the trot in the mineral-rich state.

Elections in the state will be held in two phases on Nov 11 and Nov 19.

"It's good that election process for the five states will be beginning from Chhattisgarh. I am strongly hopeful of third consecutive win on the basis of the performance of my government," Singh said, after the Election Commission announced poll dates in New Delhi Friday.

The ayurvedic-doctor-turned politician Singh who is ruling the state since December 2003, said, "In course of a 6,000 km-plus 'Vikas Yatra' which I concluded last month and during which I visited all the 27 districts, people have shown tremendous faith in my government. I will continue to strive for more and more development and infrastructure build-up if people give me a third term."

The 61-year-old politician said the Bharatiya Janata Party is in the final process of announcing party candidates for all the seats that include 10 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and 29 for Scheduled Tribes.

He also hoped election process would be free and fair and peaceful and the voting in both phases would record massive turnout.

In the first phase, 18 seats, mostly in the Maoist insurgency-hit constituencies, will go to polls while the second and final phase will cover the remaining 72 seats.

Results will be declared Dec 8 along with four other states - Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Mizoram.