VVPAT used for first time in Chhattisgarh elections

Raipur: Defying Maoist threats, Chhattisgarh voters notched up an impressive 70 per cent turnout in the first phase of Assembly polls in 18 constituencies on Monday.

According to figures made available in the evening, the highest turnout of 72 per cent was recorded in Khuiji constituency while the lowest was 49 per cent in Dantewada.

Deputy election commissioner Umesh Sinha said, "Since there were queues outside several polling stations at the end of the scheduled voting time, the exact number of votes polled will be known later... It may match or surpass the 2013 figures."

In the corresponding 18 constituencies, a turnout of 75.06 per cent was recorded in the 2013 elections, he said.

Earlier, malfunctioning of voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines and electronic voting machines (EVMs) were reported in several polling booths. Seventy VVPAT machines and 40 EVMs were replaced.

VVPAT machines were used for the first time in Chhattisgarh in the polls. As many as 190 candidates are in fray in 18 Assembly seats in the first phase of election. Prominent leaders whose fates were sealed in EVMs in the first phase of polling on Monday included chief minister Raman Singh, his ministerial colleagues Kedar Kashyap and Mahesh Gagda and former Prime Minister late Atal Behari Vajapyee's niece Karuna Shukla who has been pitted against the chief minister by Congress.

In the morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted and urged people to come out in large numbers to vote in the assembly polls.

Elections for the remaining 72 seats in the state will be held on November 20. Votes will be counted on December 11. Around 1.25 lakh security personnel were deployed.