68.25 pc voting in Chhattisgarh

An average 68.25 per cent voter turnout was recorded in seven Lok Sabha constituencies in the third and last phase of the general elections in Chhattisgarh Tuesday.

Voting began in Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa (SC), Surguja (ST) and Raigarh (ST) seats amid tight security at 7 am and was by and large peaceful, election officials said.

"Altogether 68.25 per cent voting was recorded in seven constituencies till 7 pm," state's Chief Electoral Officer Subrat Sahoo told reporters in the evening.

The number may go up as final data was yet to be received from some polling booths in Surguja, he said.

Among seven seats, the highest turnout --74.42 per cent -- was recorded in tribal-dominated Surguja, followed by 73.56 per cent in Raigarh, 73.15 per cent in Korba, 66.95 per cent in Durg, 65.08per cent in Janjgir-Champa, 64.60 per cent in Raipur and 62.26 per cent in Bilaspur.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, altogether 69.09 per cent polling had been recorded in these seven seats, Sahoo added.

A total of 15,408 polling stations were set up in these seven constituencies. Of them, 60 were 'Divyang polling stations, entirely managed by persons with special abilities, he said.

During the polling, 195 VVPATs, 58 ballot units and 43 control units were replaced, he said.

In Koriya district under Korba Lok Sabha constituency, two newly-married sisters, Sadhna and Rachna, exercised their franchise at Kochka village before leaving for their in-laws' homes.

In Raipur constituency, two brothers, in wedding attire, cast their votes at polling booth no 90 in the state capital before the marriage procession began, he said.

Vibha Rani Chakrawarty (110) voted in Chirmiri area of Koriya district, Sahoo said.

Seradand polling booth at Chandha village in Korba constituency had the lowest number of enrolled voters in the state -- four.

All four of them, including three of a family, exercised their franchise.

In Balrampur district under the Surguja constituency, Naxals carried out an Improvised Explosive Device blast between Sitajari and Pachpedi rivulets bordering Jharkhand but nobody was injured in the incident, he said.

According to a police official, the explosion took place 6 km from Chando polling booth.

"It was just a desperate attempt by naxals to discourage voting. But people participated in the polling enthusiastically in that area," the police official said.

In Raigarh district, a fake voter was caught in a polling booth at Kokditarai village.

The fate of 123 candidates was locked in EVMs Tuesday.