Defying rebel threats, over 70% of people voted yesterday in 18 Maoist-affected assembly constituencies of Chhattisgarh in the first phase, marking the start of five state elections dubbed the ‘semi-final’ before the Lok Sabha battle next year.
The Election Commission said the final figure would be higher as data was still being collated.
“Over 70 per cent voters cast their vote. The final figure may touch the last election’s figure of 75% as data is still being obtained,” senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha told reporters.
The Maoists, who had warned citizens against taking part in the poll process, detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Katekalyan in Dantewada district, minutes before the voting began, narrowly missing a foot patrol of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
In a later gun battle with the rebels, two CRPF troopers were injured in Pamed in Bijapur district.
Security personnel also found IEDs near a polling station in Bijapur and in Sukma district.
The militants have carried out multiple attacks in the last few weeks, killing several people including a Border Security Force officer and a journalist.
The constituencies which went to the polls yesterday were Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, Konta, Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Bastar, Jagdalpur and Chitrakot.
The BJP had lost 12 of the18 seats in 2013.
The prominent faces in the first phase include Chief Minister Raman Singh, who is pitted against Congress’ Karuna Shukla in his home turf Rajnandgaon.
Shukla, a niece of late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee switched to Congress from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014.
Polling in 10 constituencies – Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, Konta, Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal and Kondagaon – started at 7am and ended at 3pm.
Voting at Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Bastar, Jagdalpur and Chitrakot started an hour later and ended at 5pm.
Amid the polling, Prime Minister Narendra Modi kickstarted the campaign for the second phase in Chhattisgarh by addressing an election rally in Bilaspur.
The Congress has promised farm loan waiver, minimum support price for crops as per the Swaminathan Commission recommendations and special women police stations.

People line up to vote at a polling station in Sukma in Chhattisgarh yesterday.