First phase of Chhattisgarh civic body polls tomorrow

Polling will be conducted for 51 civic bodies that include 10 municipal corporations, 19 nagar paalika parishads and 22 nagar panchayats

The first phase of polling for local bodies in Chhattisgarh would be held on Monday with the state election commission making all necessary preparation to conduct free and fair elections.

Polling will be conducted for 51 civic bodies that include 10 municipal corporations, 19 nagar paalika parishads (municipality) and 22 nagar panchayats. The second and final phase of polling would be held on December 31. In the second phase, 103 civic bodies including 83 municipalities and 20 nagar panchayats would go to the polls.

The election commission has curtailed the polling time in the Naxal-infested areas that would go to polls on Monday. "In Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Sukma and Bijapur nagar paalikas and two nagar panchayats - Pankajur and Antagarh - in North Bastar Kanker district, polling will take place from 7 am to 3 pm," state election commissioner P C Dalai said.

In the remaining civic bodies, polling would be held from 8 am to 5 pm. Dalai said the polling parties reached the allotted booth on Sunday evening. Adequate security arrangement has been made for peaceful polling, he said, adding that the election observers and zonal officers have been appointed to ensure a smooth process. The counting of votes would take place on January 4. The tenure of the incumbent civic bodies will end on January 6. The contest would be direct in most of the places between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition-Congress.