Balloting starts in Chhattisgarh assembly seat

RAIPUR: Amid tight security, voting began in the insurgency-hit Antagarh assembly constituency for the bypoll where only two candidates, including one from the ruling BJP, are in the fray in the tribal-dominated seat.

"The polling has begun in Antagarh seat from 7 am," an election official said.

As many as 1,51,894 electorates would exercise their franchise at 202 polling stations, including 190 hyper sensitive and three auxiliary booths, till 3 pm, he said.

Around 10,000 security personnel have been deployed in the region to ensure fair and peaceful polling, he added.

It is for the first time since its formation, that Chhattisgarh will not witness any contest between the BJP and the Congress in the assembly poll as the main opposition's candidate surprisingly withdrew from the contest at the last moment.

Election for the seat was necessitated after BJP MLA Vikram Usendi resigned after he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Kanker seat.

After the declaration of the bypoll schedule, Congress, which had been struggling after a humiliating defeat in both the Assembly as well as Lok Sabha elections, had declared Manturam Pawar as its candidate from the seat, anticipating a good show.

However, Pawar surprisingly pulled out from the contest a day before the last day of withdrawal of nominations on August 29, after which he was expelled from the Congress.

Fourteen candidates had filed their nominations for the Antagarh bypoll and after scrutiny as well as withdrawal of nominations, only two candidates namely Bhojraj Naag of the BJP and Rupdhar Pudo of the Ambedkarite Party of India are now in the fray.