Chhattisgarh polls: 65 per cent voting till 3 pm

The voter turnout in 18 Assembly constituencies in the first phase of Chhattisgarh elections Monday was 65 per cent till 3 pm, a poll official said.

Polling began on a slow note in many constituencies, but gradually picked up momentum, he said.

The voting in nine seats of Bastar division and one seat in Rajnandgaon district began at 7 am, while in the other eight seats, it started at 8 am.

"Around 65 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm in 18 assembly constituencies in the first phase of Chhattisgarh elections on Monday," the poll official said.

Amid tight security, polling in 10 constituencies-
Elderly voters, including some of them above 100 years of age, and persons with disability also came forward to cast their votes, he said
The second phase of polling in 72 seats, out of the