69 per cent voting in three LS constituencies in Chhattisgarh

An impressive 69 per cent voters exercised their franchise in three Lok Sabha constituencies having Naxal presence, during second phase of Lok Sabha election in Chhattisgarh Thursday, election officials said.

Voting began in Kanker, Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund constituencies at 7 am.

"Altogether 68.70 cent voting has been recorded till 5 pm," the official said. The number may go up as final data was yet to be received from several polling booths, he said.

Barring an improvised explosive device (IED) blast triggered by Maoists in Mohla-Manpur Assembly segment of Rajnandgaon constituency, no untoward incident was reported, police said.

A massive security blanket of around 60,000 personnel was thrown around the three constituencies, they said, adding that drones were also used for surveillance.

Of the eight assembly segments in Kanker constituency, polling ended at 3 pm in Antagarh, Keshkal, Bhanupratappur and Kanker in view of Maoist threat, the official said.

In Sihawa, Sanjari-Balod, Daundilohara and Gunderdehi assembly segments the polling ended at 5 pm.

In Rajnandgaon, polling ended at 3 pm in Manpur-Mohla assembly segment. In other seven segments in the constituency, it ended at 5 pm.

In Mahasamund, polling ended at 5 pm, except in six booths designated as "hypersensitive" -- Odh, Kamabhaundi, Amammora, Badegobra, Sahbinkachhar and Kodomali -- where the voting ended at 3 pm, the official said.

As many as 36 candidates are in the fray in three seats, though the main fight is between the Congress and BJP.

The BJP has fielded Santosh Pandey, general secretary of the party's state unit, in the high-profile Rajnandgaon seat, denying ticket to sitting MP Abhishek Singh, son of former Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Pandey is pitted against Congress' Bholaram Sahu, a former MLA.

In Kanker, the BJP denied ticket to sitting MP Vikram Usendi, president of its state unit, and fielded a fresh face, Mohan Mandavi. The Congress has pinned its hopes on Biresh Thakur, also a greenhorn.

In Mahasamund, the BJP chose former MLA Chunnilal Sahu over two-time MP Chandulal Sahu against Congress MLA Dhanendra Sahu.

While the Naxal-affected Bastar constituency in the state went to the polls in the first phase, seven more constituencies in the state will see polling in the third and final phase on April 23.