Around 55 per cent polling in Chhattisgarh's second poll phase

Around 55 per cent of voters in 72 constituencies spread across 19 districts of Chhattisgarh exercised their franchise until 3 pm today, during the second and last phase of assembly polls where a man was killed in an alleged accidental firing by a CRPF personnel at a polling booth.
"Around 55 per cent polling was recorded in 72 constituencies of 19 districts till 3 pm," Joint Chief Electoral Officer DD Singh told PTI here today.
A man was killed and another injured in an alleged accidental firing by a CRPF personnel in Bhindarwani polling booth of Saja constituency of Bemetara district this afternoon, he said.

Polling was withheld for about half an hour after the incident and later it was resumed, he said.
According to the Director General of Police (DGP), the incident took place when five people in an inebriated state reached at Bhindarwani village and started arguing with Central Reserve Police Force personnel who was on security deployment at the polling booth.
During a verbal spat, bullets accidentally went off from the rifle of the paramilitary soldier and hit them leaving a man dead and another injured.

"The injured was admitted to Durg hospital," the DGP said, adding that the body of those killed has been brought to Raipur for postmortem.

A magisterial inquiry has been ordered over the incident and the CRPF man has been removed from his duty, the DGP added.
A total of 843 candidates are contesting with an electorate of 1,39,75,470 in the last of the two-phased polls to the 90-member assembly in the state where a BJP government led by Chief Minister Raman Singh is eyeing a hat trick against the Congress.