'Strengthen The Festival Of Democracy': PM Modi, Amit Shah Urge Voters As Polling Begins In Chhattisgarh, Mizoram

Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly and in 20 seats of the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly in the first phase of voting is being held today.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday urged people to vote in large numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy as polling began for the Chhattisgarh and Mizoram Assembly Polls. The PM took to X and posted, "I call upon the people of Mizoram to vote in record numbers. I particularly urge the young and first-time voters to exercise their franchise and strengthen the festival of democracy."

I call upon the people of Mizoram to vote in record numbers. I particularly urge the young and first time voters to exercise their franchise and strengthen the festival of democracy.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 7, 2023

The PM made a similar appeal to voters in Chhatisgarh in another post in Hindi on X.

छत्तीसगढ़ में आज लोकतंत्र के पावन उत्सव का दिन है। विधानसभा चुनाव के पहले चरण के सभी मतदाताओं से मेरा अनुरोध है कि वे अपना वोट जरूर डालें और इस उत्सव के भागीदार बनें। इस अवसर पर पहली बार वोट डालने वाले राज्य के सभी युवा साथियों को मेरी विशेष बधाई!

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 7, 2023

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also urged people in Mizoram, especially the youth, to come out and vote in large numbers, as every vote will lay the foundation of a developed and prosperous Mizoram. "I urge our sisters and brothers in Mizoram, especially the youth, to come out and vote in large numbers. Each and every vote will lay the foundation of a developed and prosperous Mizoram," Shah said in a post on 'X'.

I urge our sisters and brothers in Mizoram, especially the youth to come out and vote in large numbers.
Each and every vote will lay the foundation of a developed and prosperous Mizoram.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 7, 2023

छत्तीसगढ़ के प्रथम चरण के सभी मतदाताओं से अपील करता हूँ कि प्रदेश से भ्रष्टाचार और घोटालों के शासन को समाप्त कर जनजातीय समाज, किसानों, गरीबों और युवाओं के कल्याण के प्रति समर्पित सरकार चुनने के लिए अधिक से अधिक संख्या में मतदान करें।
आपका एक बहुमूल्य वोट छत्तीसगढ़ के सुनहरे…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 7, 2023

Mizoram

Polling for the Mizoram Assembly began on Tuesday, the counting of which is scheduled for December 3. The voting began at 7 am and will continue till 3 pm. A total of 174 candidates are in the fray. According to the CEO, of Mizoram, the total number of electors in Mizoram stands at 8,51,895. Out of which 4,12,969 are male, 4,38,925 are female, and 1 (one) third gender.

There are a total of 4,973 service voters in Mizoram. First-time voters who are in the age group of 18-19 years stand at 50,611. The sex ratio of voters in Mizoram is 1,063. The electoral population (EP) ratio stands at 63.27.

The total number of polling stations is 1276, out of which 525 fall in urban areas and 751 in rural areas. As many as 2,058 votes have been cast through home voting and 7,497 votes through postal ballots at designated facilitation centres for the Mizoram Assembly elections.

The 40-member state assembly is the only poll-bound state where the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are not the primary contenders. In the 2018 assembly elections, the Mizo National Front (MNF) secured 26 seats with a vote share of 37.8 per cent and emerged victorious, defeating the 10-year-old Congress government.

The Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM), the regional party that surprisingly came in second in the 2018 polls, bagged eight seats. It is seen by many as the main contender for the ruling party.

The Congress bagged five seats in the 2018 assembly polls, while the BJP got one, securing its first seat in the northeastern state. The MNF is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but it has not sought a pre-poll alliance with its partner in the state. 

The BJP is contesting 23 seats. In 2018, it contested in 39 constituencies. Incumbent Chief Minister Zoramthanga who is also the president of Mizo National Front party, is seeking re-election from the Aizawl East I constituency. State Congress Chief Lalswata is in the fray from Aizawl West 3 constituency. Lalduhoma, who is the founder and president of the Zoram Nationalist Party is in the fray from Serchhip. 

Chhattisgarh

Voting for the first phase of the Chattisgarh Assembly Elections, involving 20 seats in the state's southern region, began on Tuesday. The voting process began at 7 AM amid tight security. Polling started at 7 am for ten seats, which include Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Konta.

The polling for the remaining assembly constituencies, which include Pandaria, Kawardha, Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Bastar, Jagdalpur, and Chitrakote, will commence at 8 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m.

The state of Chhattisgarh is undergoing elections in two phases, with the second phase scheduled for November 17. 20 constituencies in Chhattisgarh, which has a 90-member house, are set for the polls on Tuesday, including 12 from the Bastar division.

223 Candidates In Fray For 20 Seats

There are a total of 223 candidates in the fray for 20 seats. 5304 voting booths have been set up by the election commission for this phase. There are 40 lakh, 78 thousand, and 681 voters in this phase. Of these, there are 19 lakh, 93 thousand, 937 male voters and 20 lakh, 84 thousand, 675 female voters. In this phase 13 of the 20 seats are reserved for SC/STs. Overall, in the state, 29 seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and 10 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs).

Voting is being held in constituencies that are Naxal-affected and fall in districts like Bastar, Dantewada, Kanker, Kabeerdham, and Rajnandgaon. In the first phase of voting in the state, 13 candidates are contesting in the Antagarh assembly constituency, while 14 are in race for the Bhanupratappur, 9 in Kanker, 10 in Keshkal, 8 in Kondagaon, 9 in Narayanpur, 8 in Bastar, 11 in Jagdalpur, 7 in Chitrakote, 7 in Dantewada, 8 in Bijapur, 8 in Konta, 11 in Khairagarh, 10 in Dongargarh, 29 in Rajnandgaon, 12 in Dongargaon, 10 in Khujji, 9 in Mohla-Manpur, 16 in Kawardha and 14 in Pandariya.

Notable figures such as former Chief Minister Raman Singh is seeking re-election from his seat in Rajnandgaon, and State Minister Kawasi Lakhma, who is running again from Konta, where he the sitting MLA. In 2018, the Congress won 17 of the 20 seats that will go to the polls in Phase 1. BJP had won two seats, while Ajit Jogi's party had won one.

In 2023, the Congress replaced six of the sitting MLAs in this phase, while in the seat of Bahnupratappur, the wife of late MLA Manoj Mandavi, Savita Mandavi, will be contesting. As per the data from the Election Commission of India, in the election to the 90-member assembly, a total of 2,03,80,079 crore voters, including 19,839 service voters, will be able to exercise their franchise.

There are also 790 gender voters in the state and 1,60,955 persons with disabilities voters, as per the data shared by the poll body. Chhattisgarh has 2,63,829 electors in the age group of 18-19. There are 1,86,215 senior citizens above the age of 80 in the state.

The poll panel said there are 24109 polling stations in the state as compared to 23,667 in 2018. 

To conduct free and fair elections in the state, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed to augment he local police force in the state. Kanker Collector Priyanka Shukla said, "This time tight security arrangements have been made in the most Naxal-affected areas, while some polling centres will also be monitored with drones."

Polling teams reached all the polling stations of Kanker district on Monday. Two special rooms have been prepared in Kanker and Antagarh. Teams have been sent from Kanker to Bhanupratappur assembly constituencies, which are the most Naxal-affected areas.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer, Chhattisgarh, a total of 223 candidates in the 20 assembly constituencies of the first phase, of which 198 are men and 25 are women, will contest the polls on Tuesday. The Commission has also directed that, to the extent possible, at least one polling station, each managed exclusively by women and persons with disabilities, shall be set up in every Assembly constituency in the state.

The counting of votes is scheduled for December 3.