Amid tight security, voting for Dantewada by-poll to be held on Monday

india

Updated: Sep 22, 2019 18:16 IST

Amid tight security, voting for the by election in Maoist- affected Dantewada assembly constituency will be held on Monday.

Chhattisgarh Chief Electoral officer Subrat Sahoo, in a press conference on Sunday said that voting will start from 7 am and end at 3 pm on Monday.

Total 1,302 personnel were deputed in polling teams and sent to their respective destinations, said Sahoo.

Sahoo further said that all arrangement for conducting free and fair by-election has been done.

“There are total of 1,88,263 voters including 89,747 male and 98,876 female and 273 polling stations for by-election,” Sahoo added.

The bypoll for the Scheduled Tribe reserved constituency was necessitated following the death of BJP legislator Bhima Mandavi killed in a Maoist attack on April 9 just three before parliamentary elections.

The Congress has again fielded Devati Karma-- who narrowly lost to Bhima Mandavi in 2018-- while the BJP has given ticket to the slain leader’s wife Ojaswi Mandavi. Seven other candidates are also in the fray.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former CM Raman Singh were the chief campaigners for their parties. While the Congress highlighted the pro-farmers and pro-tribal policies started by the government in the last nine months, BJP attacked the Congress for alleged vendetta politics and sought votes citing work done in Raman Singh’s 15-year rule.

Around 18,000 security personnel are deployed for the bypoll in the Maoist hit Dantewada. Extra precaution is being taken as Maoists are observing their annual “foundation week” from September 21 to 27 and chances of disturbances are high, said Director General of Police (DGP), DM Awasthi said.