Chhattisgarh Election Results updates: Congress' Bhupesh Baghel says people gave 'befitting reply' to BJP

Victory of farmers, youth, says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi is now speaking on the results of the Assembly elections. He said that this is a victory of the farmers, youth and small businessmen. We will now work on providing leadership with a vision.

Congress wins Mahasamund, Khallari, Saraipali, Basna

Vinod Seva Lal Chandrakar of INC wins from Mahasamund assembly seat by 22,700 votes; Dwarikadhish Yadav of INC bags Khallari seat by defeating Monika Dilip Sahu of BJP by 57,000 votes. Kismat Lal Nand of INC wins Saraipali seat by 53,000 votes; Devendra Bahadur Singh of INC wins Basna by margin of 13000 votes.

Input by Hitesh Sharma/101Reporters

‘People gave befitting reply to BJP’: Bhupesh Baghel

“Congress had been standing with each and every section of the state. Therefore, it has received their immense support in the election. BJP has only cheated the people of the state during its three-term rule. It was neck-deep in corruption and ‘commissionkhori’. People have given them a befitting reply,” Chhattisgarh Congress Bhupesh Baghel said.

PTI

Raman Singh says party took Chhattisgarh to “new heights” during his tenure

Outgoing chief minister Raman Singh said in an interaction with mediapersons, “I congratulate all parties and people of Chhattisgarh involved in these elections. We were in power for 15 years and took Chhattisgarh to new heights of development, we will now play the role of a constructive opposition to ensure the oncoming government stays on the path of inclusive development. Members of our election committee will meet soon to analyse the results and prepare for upcoming. general elections.”

Congress bags all five seats in Raigarh

Congress has swept all five Assembly constituencies in Raigarh. Chakradhar Singh Sidar has won from Lailunga seat by 26,000 votes, Prakash Shakrajeet Nayak Naik has won from from Raigarh by 14,000 votes, Uttari Ganpat Jangde has won Sarangarh by 50,000 votes, Umesh Patel defeated BJP’s OP Chaudhary and wins Kharasia seat by 16,000 votes, Laljeet Singh Rathia has won Dharamjaigarh seat by 38,000 votes.

Input by Hitesh Sharma/101Reporters

Congress wins Gundardehi, leads in Jashpur 

Congress candidate Kunwar Singh Nishad won the Gundardehi Assembly constituency, defeating BJP’s Deepak Tarachand Sahu by a huge margin of 55,396 votes. The party’s Vinay Bhagat is leading by 3,777 votes after 16 rounds of counting in Jashpur.

Inputs by Yogesh and Kishore K Sahu

People have given befitting reply to ‘corrupt’ BJP, says Bhupesh Baghel

With the Congress poised to wrest power from the BJP in Chhattisgarh after 15 years, the party’s state unit chief Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday said people have given a befitting reply to the ruling party, which indulged in corruption during its 15 year of rule. He credited strong party organisation for the impressive showing and said he was not expecting such a big margin of victory.

“Congress had been standing with each and every section of the state. Therefore, it has received their immense support in the election,” Baghel said. “BJP has only cheated the people of the state during its three-term rule. It was neck-deep in corruption and ‘commissionkhori’. People have given them a befitting reply.”

The Congress is leading in 64 seats, well above the magic figure of 46, while the ruling BJP was a distant second at 18 in the 90-member Assembly, according to the Election Commission website.

“We were not expecting such a big blessing from the people. We were expecting around 60 seats,” Baghel said. “The result is the outcome of unity of my party leaders and efforts of booth level workers…The party is heading to a historic victory and credit for it goes to AICC president Rahul Gandhi.”

Rahul addressed around 19 public meetings as part of the poll campaign.

The Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee chief, who is seen as one of the contenders for the chief minister’s post along with TS Singhdeo, said it was for the high command to decide who would be chief minister.

“The high command will take a decision on this. The responsibility that was given to me, I have fulfilled that,” he said. “We strengthened the Congress organisation at the basic level under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership and through that we fought the battle for the common man,” Baghel added.

According to him, the Congress raised issues related to farmers, labourers, tribals, students, women and youth. “It fought for the rights of every section of the society,” he said.

PTI

Congress leaders remember 2013 Jheeram Ghati attack

At least 27 people were killed in the Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh’s Darbha Valley in May 2013, only a few months before the Assembly elections at the time. In a planned operation, the insurgents had ambushed and killed several Chhattisgarh Congress leaders, including state secretary Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, former Union minister VC Shukla and former state minister Mahendra Karma.

Bhupesh Baghel dedicates Chhattisgarh win to Congress victims of Darbha Valley attack

मैं झीरम घाटी के शहीदों को नमन करता हूं और यह जीत उन्हें समर्पित करता हूं."

- प्रदेश अध्यक्ष @Bhupesh_Baghel #CongressWinsBIG

— INC Chhattisgarh (@INCChhattisgarh) December 11, 2018

Congress lists out ‘gruesome’ incidents, saying ‘we don’t forget, nor does the public’

न हम भूले, न जनता..

-झीरम जैसे भीषण नरसंहार को
-अंखफोड़वा जैसे झकझोर देने वाले मंजर को
-नसबंदी कांड की बिलखती चीखों को
-दिल दहला देने वाले गर्भाशय काण्ड को
-झलियामारी कांड में मासूम बच्चियों की पीड़ा को
-बिलासपुर के भीषण लाठीकांड को

आभार जनता जनार्दन!!#AssemblyElections2018

— INC Chhattisgarh (@INCChhattisgarh) December 11, 2018

They have not given us a right, but a responsibility, says Congress leader PL Punia

PL Punia, Congress in Chhattisgarh: We humbly accept the mandate by the people. They have not given us the right, they have given us a responsibility. They believed the promises we made in our manifesto. People trusted the words of Rahul Gandhi ji&gave us an agenda, we accept it. pic.twitter.com/ihq9m1kHrp

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

BJP’s hold on SC-reserved seats in Chhattisgarh loosens, leads in two of 10

The ruling BJP seems to have lost its hold on the Assembly seats reserved for Scheduled Castes in Chhattisgarh, as per trends from the vote counting currently underway. The BJP is leading in only two of the 10 SC-reserved seats, while in the 2013 Assembly polls, the party had won nine of them.

This time, the Congress is leading in six seats, while the BSP is ahead in two. 

While BJP state minister Dayaldas Baghel was trailing in the Navagarh (SC) seat by a margin of 12,037 votes, another minister Punnulal Mohile is leading by a margin of 4,798 votes in the Mungeli (SC) seat.

Scheduled Castes make up roughly 12 percent of the state’s 2.5 crore population, and a sizable number of them follow the Satnami sect. Polls for the 90-member House in the state took place in two phases on 12 and 20 November.

PTI

‘This is a victory of democracy,’ says Bhupesh Baghel

“The mandate given by the people in Chhattisgarh is historic,” the state Congress chief said. 

Bhupesh Baghel, Chhattisgarh Congress President: This is a victory of democracy. BJP had a lot of money & a team of corrupt officers, they also had conspirators in their pocket. Despite all of this, the mandate given by the people in Chhattisgarh is historic. pic.twitter.com/azcBZqvgKM

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

Raman Singh resigns as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh

Dr Raman Singh has tendered his resignation as the chief minister of Chhattisgarh. He said he appreciated the opportunity he had to serve Chhattisgarh for 15 years.

“We did the best we could for Chhattisgarh. We tried to bring about a change for the people. As the chief minister, I take moral responsibility for the BJP’s loss. I am answerable for this… After 15 years of ruling Chhattisgarh, we will now continue to perform our duties as the Opposition,” Singh said, adding that they will work for the people of the state however they can.

Drop in BJP vote share in Chhattisgarh polls

In the 2018 Chhattisgarh elections, the BJP saw a considerable drop in its vote share to 32.8 percent from 40 percent in 2013. The saffron party had won the last elections by a narrow margin of 0.7 percent higher votes than the Congress.

Raman Singh leads from Rajnandgaon seat by 7,900 votes

Dr. Raman Singh, the current Chhattisgarh chief minister, is leading from Rajnandgaon by 7,900 votes over Congress candidate Karuna Shukla. Singh had won the seat by a margin of more than 35,000 votes in the 2013 elections. In early trends soon after counting began on Tuesday,  Singh was trailing .

Input by Hitesh Sharma

CRPF personnel injured in IED blast in Sukma

One CRPF jawan was critically injured in an IED blast in Chintagupha region in Sukma on Tuesday. He has been taken to hospital for treatment. 

Likely Chhattisgarh chief ministerial candidates

The Congress is set to form government in Chhattisgarh, but the party had not announced a chief ministerial candidate ahead of the polls. Among the likely candidates are Bhupesh Baghel, the state Congress chief, and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, TS Singh Deo.

Congress high command will decide on CM candidate, says Baghel

Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel, who was seen as one of the possible chief ministerial candidates for Chhattisgarh, along with Leader of Opposition in the Assembly TS Singh Deo, said the party high command will decide on who will be chief minister, The Indian Express reported.

Bhupesh Baghel says ‘fought under Rahul Gandhi’s guidance’

Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel was quoted as saying by The Indian Express : “We strengthened the Congress organisation at the ground level under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, and like that, we fought the battle for the common man. The party fought for farmers, unemployed youth, women, tribals and traders and won their confidence.”

Congress trails BJP in Jashpur by only 31 votes

In Jashpur constituency, the contest between the BJP and Congress is as close as it can get. In this Chhattisgarh seat, the BJP’s Govind Ram Bhagat has a lead over Congress candidate Vinay Kumar Bhagat by only 31 votes.

Source: ECI

Congress candidates win Lundra and Kanker seats

Dr Pritam Ram of the Congress won the Lundra (ST) seat in Surguja district by a margin of 14,000 votes. He defeated BJP’s Vijaynath Singh. Congress candidates Shishupal Shori and Manoj Mandavi also won from the Kanker and Bhanupratappur constituencies.

Input by Manish and Mukesh Shukla

Congress leading in 68 seats at 4 pm

Congress’ Kawasi Lakhma wins in Sukma’s Konta seat

Congress candidate Kawasi Lakhma won by 6790 votes from Konta (ST) seat in the Naxal-hit Sukma district. He defeated CPI candidate Manish Kunjam.

Input by Vijay Singh Thakur

Congress’ TS Singh Deo wins in Ambikapur constituency

Leader of Opposition, TS Singh Deo wins from Ambikapur constituency by margin of 33,000 votes, and defeated Anurag Singh Deo of BJP.

Input from Vijay Singh Thakur

Congress set to win by 9 percent higher vote share

Till 4 pm, the Congress recorded a vote share of 42.9 percent over the BJP’s 33 percent. This is in stark contrast to the marginal 0.7 percent differnece in difference between the parties in 2013, making this possibly the largest win in the state’s history.

Contrary to expectations, the Ajit Jogi-BSP-CPI third front did not split votes three ways, but is believed to have aided the Congress’ success.

Congress celebrates as 66-seat lead is maintained

Chhattisgarh Congress President Bhupesh Baghel and workers celebrate in Raipur. #AssemblyElectionResults2018 pic.twitter.com/lJ7bY3ajui

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

Bhupesh Baghel arrives at Congress office, says “We are grateful to Rahul Gandhi.”

Currently, the Congress is leading in 67 seats, with the BJP leading in 14. The Ajit Jogi-BSP alliance has maintained a lead in nine seats.

Chhattisgarh Congress President Bhupesh Baghel arrives at Congress office in Raipur. He says, “Ppl of Chhattisgarh took the fight in their own hands. We are grateful to Rahul Gandhi, we fought for the ppl. We got more seats than expected, high command will decide who will be CM” pic.twitter.com/i5B8Js0gXR

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

Probable chief ministerial candidates from the Congress

With Congress dominating Chhattisgarh and looking well on its way to ending the BJP’s 15-year rule, speculation abounds about the party’s likely chief ministerial candidate . Here is the list of possible candidates:

Bhupesh Baghel

Baghel is a four-time MLA from Patan constituency and has served as minister in the Digvijaya Singh government when the state was a part of Madhya Pradesh.

Tamardhwaj Sahu

The Congress fielded OBC leader Tamardhwaj Sahu from the Durg (rural) constituency on the last day of filing nominations for the second phase of Assembly polls by dropping Pratima Chandrakar, a move seen as a step to woo voters from the backward class.

TS Singh Deo

The sitting MLA from Ambikapur constituency and Leader of Opposition, Deo is another strong contender for the chief minister’s post.

Charan Das Mahant

Mahant was a minister of state in the Manmohan Singh government and had worked briefly as the president of the Chhattisgarh PCC president.

Satyanarayan Sharma

Considered the Brahmin face of the party, Satyanarayan Sharma is a former minister in the state and served in the cabinets of both Digvijay Singh and Ajit Jogi.

IED blast in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district

One CRPF jawan is critically injured in an IED blast in Sukma district’s Chintagupha area. According to sources, the troops were out for area domination duty. The evacuation process is underway. Chintagupha is a Maoist stronghold.

Congress leading in 10 out of 13 key constituencies

While the Congress has established a lead in 10 out of 13 key constituencies in the state, the BJP leader and Chief Minister Raman Singh has maintained a lead in his constituency of Rajnandgaon. In Marwahi, former chief minister Ajit Jogi has also established a lead.

Of the 90 Assembly segments in Chhattisgarh, 51 are general, while 10 are reserved for candidates from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities and 29 from Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities. Here are some of the key constituencies of the 90-seat House:

Jagdalpur – Congress is leading with 4,5184 votes

Bilaspur – Congress is leading with 20,114 votes

Dantewada – Congress is leading with 10,023 votes

Kanker – Congress is leading with 19,440 votes

Bastar – Congress is leading with 39,233 votes

Narayanpur – Congress is leading with 27,726 votes

Rajnandgaon – BJP is leading with 8,990 votes

Bhilai – Congress is leading with 24,447 votes

Ambikapur – Congress is leading with 49,217 votes

Marwahi – JCC is leading with 38,623 votes

Raipur City South – BJP is leading with 17,615 votes

Korba – Congress is leading with 14,099 votes

Raipur City West – Congress is leading with 18,695 votes

Credit: ECI

The BJP is facing a likely defeat as per initial trends

Chhattisgarh: #Visuals from Bharatiya Janata Party office in Raipur. BJP is leading on 15 seats while Congress is leading on 61 seats, out of the total 90 seats in the state. #AssemblyElections2018 pic.twitter.com/AxmHnhvqHm

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

Saffron party trails with 17 seats, as Congress maintains lead in 67

Sanjay Kakade, BJP Rajya Sabha MP: I knew we would lose in Rajasthan & Chhattisgarh but MP trends have come as a surprise. I think we forgot the issue of development that Modi took up in 2014. Ram Mandir, statues & name changing became the focus. #AssemblyElectionResults2018 pic.twitter.com/pHXe4PwhPr

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

Status of 7 seats under Bilaspur district

Bilaspur (fifth round) Congress is leading by 1,591 votes
 

Bilha (fifth round) BJP is leading by 7,285 votes
 

Masturi (sixth round) BJP is leading by 1,127 votes
 

Takhatpur (third round) Congress is leading by 224 votes
 

Kota (seventh round) JCC is leading by 5,308 votes
 

Marwahi (seventh round) JCC is leading by 18,123 votes
 

Beltara (seventh round) BJP is leading by 561 votes

Input from Hitesh Sharma

Congress maintains lead of 60 out of 90 seats 

#WATCH: Celebrations outside Congress office in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Congress is leading on 60 out of 90 seats in the state. #AssemblyElections2018 pic.twitter.com/8Bgf0Wu0Gv

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

Bhupesh Baghel congratulates Congress cadre

Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bhupesh Baghel congratulates party workers on gaining a comfortable lead, says, “It is time for change.”

Input by Hitesh Sharma

Congress’ Devati Karma trails behind BJP candidate in Dantewada Assembly seat

In the Dantewada constituency, BJP’s Bhima Mandavi is ahead of Congress’ Devati Karma by a thin margin of 206 votes. NOTA is in third position in Dantewada with 1890 votes. 

Karma is the widow of Karma is the widow of Salwa Judum leader Mahendra Karma, who was killed in a Maoist attack in 2013. NOTA is in third position in Dantewada district, with 1,890 votes.

Congress’ resurgence in Chhattisgarh

The Congress maintains its lead in the state with a lead in 65 seats, while the BJP trails at 19.

#ElectionsWithNews18 | @INCIndia plucks Lotus out in Chhattisgarh with a helping hand from Mayawati#BattleForChhattisgarh

LIVE blog: https://t.co/hbm74o1aji pic.twitter.com/rLoZg89WvE

— News18.com (@news18dotcom) December 11, 2018

“All MLAs responsible to implement promises made during the election campaign: TS Singh Deo

Leader of Opposition and Congress candidate from Ambikapur TS Singh Deo said victory is sweet but brings along the weight of responsibility. He said, “All elected MLAs will be responsible to implement the promises made during the campaign by the Congress party.”

Deo said focusing on issues of farmers, youths and tribal population helped the Congress gain the trust of the electorate. On the question of who will be the chief minister if Congress won in the state, Deo said the Congress legislators’ meeting will decide upon probable names and send them to the high command.

Input by Manish Soni

Neck-and-neck contest between CPI and Congress in Konta

CPI’s Manish Kunjam is facing off with sitting MLA Kawasi Lakhma of the Congress in the Konta Assembly constituency. As of 12.30 pm, Kunjam is ahead by 126 votes.

Konta is one of the seats in insurgency-hit Sukma district.

Congress turns the tables in BJP’s stronghold

In Raipur city (North), Kuldeep Juneja of Congress has a comfortable lead of more than 4,000 votes over BJP’s Shri Chand Sundrani. Kanhaiya Agrawal of Congress is ahead of BJP’s Brijmohan Agarwal by 405 votes in Raipur city (South).

Vikas Upadhyay of Congress is leading Rajesh Munat of BJP by more than 700 votes in Raipur city (West), and in Raipur (Gramin), Satyanarayan Sharma of Congress has left BJP’s Nand Kumar Sahu behind by about 650 votes.

Congress workers celebrate as trends show party leading in 67 seats out of 90, and BJP trails with 17

Congress workers celebrate in Raipur as trends show the party leading in #Chhattisgarh #AssemblyElections2018 pic.twitter.com/DmNTvetTAW

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

“We connected with the people, said Congress leader TS Singh Deo

Leader of Opposition in the Chhattisgarh Assembly, Congress’ TS Singh Deo said that the promise of the loan waiver for farmers would be the priority of the party if it made government in the state. He told NDTV, “Our focus was very clear from the start; we connected with the people based on clear directions from Rahul_ji__,_ who steered the party in Chhattisgarh.”

Deo added that the BSP-Ajit Jogi alliance seemed to have cut into the BJP’s vote share from the Scheduled Tribes communities. “I said that Ajit Jogi would cause more damage to the BJP than to the Congress.”

Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bhupesh Baghel reaches counting centre in Durg

Input by Hitesh Sharma

All BJP Cabinet ministers way behind their rivals

While Chief Minister Raman Singh managed to reverse the trend after initially trailing to the Congress, all his cabinet Ministers were way behind their rivals. Currently, BJP candidates are ahead in 24 constituencies. 

IANS reported that after the third round of vote count, Congress candidates are ahead of their rivals in at least 58 of the 90 seats in the battle for an Assembly where the half-way mark is 46.

Congress wave sweeping through Chhattisgarh currently

As of 12 pm, Congress has extended its lead to 64 seats out of 90 seats in the state, while the BJP has been limited to 20 seats. Heavyweight ministers are set to lose their seats.

Input by Manmohan Singh

ECI released figures for 77 seats out of 90

According to ECI, of the 77 seats out of 90 for which the status is known yet, Congress leads on 54 seats, BJP on 17, JCC on 4, CPI and Gondvana Gantantra Party on one seat each.

BJP has closed the vote share gap slightly and has tallied 31.8% votes against Congress’ 43.8%. JCC has claimed 8.7% votes counted until 11.30 am.

ECI figures show vastly higher vote share for the Congress

Image credit: ECI official website

Congress ahead of BJP in Durg city constituency in the district

Arun Vohra of the Congress is ahead of Chandrika Chandrakar of BJP by 2,918 votes in Durg City Assembly constituency.

“It’s a very close fight,” said Saroj Pandey, BJP national general secretary and Durg MP

Pandey said, “We can’t say anything after only 1st round of counting. We hope to form the government in Chhattisgarh. It’s a very close fight.”

Congress had pulled ahead of the BJP in Durg’s Bhilai Nagar constituency. ​

Saroj Pandey, BJP national general secretary & MP from Durg (Chhattisgarh): We can't say anything after only 1st round of counting. We hope to form the government in Chhattisgarh. It's a very close fight. #AssemblyElections2018 pic.twitter.com/ZQQt4fyeWR

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

Reports say farmers**, tribals, and OBCs are moving away from the BJP**

The farmer community’s contention with the state administration has steadily been becoming louder , especially in the run-up to the election. Across Bastar, Kanker, and Rajnandgaon districts, farmers are struggling with inadequate MSP on paddy, non-payment of the promised bonus of Rs 300 per quintal and of the amount assured as crop insurance.

11.02: if the trends hold- As Chhattisgarh is showing, farmers, tribals and OBCs are moving away from BJP. Alarm bells should ring. #electionswithnews18

— Marya Shakil (@maryashakil) December 11, 2018

Congress extends lead in key constituency Bhilai Nagar in Durg district

Congress races ahead in Bhilai Nagar constituency in Durg, while the BJP is left with a lead only in Vaishali Nagar constituency after the second round of counting. Durg has six assembly constituencies. (Hitesh Sharma/101Reporters)

Bhilai Nagar, the city is known for its steel and chemical industry and the Bhilai Steel Plant, is a key constituency is the stronghold of the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha (CMM), which was founded by labour leader Shankar Guha Niyogi in 1986 to fight for the rights of miners and factory workers in Bhilai’s Dilla Rajhara, where the Bhilai Steel Plant’s captive mines are located.

Bhilai has been the face of friction on labour issues between activists and the Chhattisgarh government for years. Lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj has worked with the CMM for several decades and enjoys support from this city. With her arrest by the BJP-ruled Centre in August, Bhilai will be a constituency to watch.

Input by Hitesh Sharma

BJP ministers trail in the race

Veteran BJP leader and sitting state home minister Ramsewak Paikra is trailing by 500 votes, Cabinet minister Brijmohan Agarwal is trailing by 3800 votes, state PWD minister Rajesh Munat is trailing by 3300 votes after second round of counting.

Input by Abhishek Tiwari

We are glad we have established a third power in Chhattisgarh, says Ajit Jogi

Former chief minister Ajit Jogi and leader of JCC party, the third front in Chhattisgarh said he is happy with the vote share as per early trends.

He said, “We are satisfied with the number of seats we have won so far. We won what we did after campaigning for only two months. We are glad we were able to change the two-party system in Chhattisgarh. People wanted a change in Chhattisgarh and wanted to remove the BJP. They saw the Congress as being able to do this.”

Chief Minister Raman Singh pulls ahead of Karuna Shukla in Rajnandgaon

Raman Singh defies initial scare, extends lead by 147 votes over Karuna Shukla in Rajnandgaon after first round of counting. In the first round of counting, Shukla, former prime minister Atal Bihari niece, was leading in the key constituency.

Singh made his Lok Sabha debut from Rajnandgaon in 1999 after defeating Congress leader Motilal Vohra. During campaigning for the elections, the chief minister assured voters he would turn Rajnandgaon into a “Smart City” and “get prosperity back” in the region.

Input by Hitesh Sharma

CPI candidate Manish Kunjam leads in Konta constituency

Communist Party of India candidate, Manish Kunjam, leads in Konta constituency in Naxal-hit Sukma district by around 900 votes after second round of counting.

Input by Hitesh Sharma

As of 10.25, early trends in the five states look like this:

#ElectionsWithNews18 | At 10:25 am, here's what the early trends look like in Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. #BattleForTheStates

Live updates: https://t.co/XKzLN30m9f pic.twitter.com/gaTgWjTiXm

— News18.com (@news18dotcom) December 11, 2018

BJP leading in Rampur ST seat in Korba district

Tribal strongman and BJP candidate from the Rampur seat in Korba district, Nankiram Kanwar, leads after the second round of counting.

Input by Hitesh Sharma

Close contest in Narayanpur

Chandan Kashyap of Congress is ahead of Kedar Kashyap of BJP by 51 votes. Narayanpur is one of the extremely sensitive constituencies where polling was conducted in first phase.

In Chitrakot Assembly constituency, Congress leads by 3,509 votes

After the first round for the Chitrakot seat, Deepak Baij of Congress leads with 3,509 votes and Lacchuram Kashyap of BJP trails at 2,136. 551 votes have been counted under NOTA so far.

In Marwahi, ECI trends show Ajit Jogi at third position

According to official ECI trends, former Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi is at third position at Marwahi. BJP is leading and Congress at second

According to official ECI trends, former Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi is at third position at Marwahi. BJP is leading and Congress at second ( file pic) #ChhattisgarhAssemblyElections2018 pic.twitter.com/fhzR0IZIKl

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

Congress leading with 41.56 percent vote share

According to CEO Chhattisgarh, the Congress has claimed 41.56 percent vote share and BJP 27.82 percent vote share until 10.00 am. 26 percent vote share is claimed by independents and the JCC so far while 2 percent votes have gone to NOTA. 

This shows a significant shift in favour of the Congress from the last assembly polls when it trailed the BJP by 0.75% in vote share.

Visuals of celebrations outside the Congress office in Delhi after initial trends show lead in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh 

#Visuals of celebration from outside Congress office in Delhi. #AssemblyElections2018 pic.twitter.com/4bWIf5EN8I

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

Initial trends in for all 90 seats in Chhattisgarh

The Congress is leading with 60 seats in the state, while BJP is trailing with 24. Ajit Jogi’s JCC and BSP alliance is leading in six seats in the state.

42 out of 46 postal ballots declared invalid in Konta Assembly constituency

In Sukma district’s Konta Assembly constituency, 42 out of 46 postal ballots have been declared invalid. Of the remaining four, two votes each have gone to the Congress and BJP.

However, the BJP candidate in Konta, Dhaniram Barse is leading as per initial trends after the first round of counting. In 2013, Barse was defeated by sitting Congress MLA Kawasi Lakhma in the Naxal-affected district.

Inputs by Hitesh Sharma and Rishi Bhatnagar

Early trends show Congress has majority in Chhattisgarh

Reports say that early trends show a majority for Congress in Chhattisgarh, with the party leading in at least 59 constituencies in the state as opposed to the 22 seats that the BJP has a lead in.

Ajit Jogi’s daughter-in-law Richa, contesting on BSP ticket, takes lead in Champa district’s constituency

Ajit Jogi’s daughter-in-law, Richa Jogi has taken a lead in the Akaltara assembly constituency of Champa district. Contesting on a BSP ticket, as opposed to Jogi’s own party JCC, Richa is currently leading by 403 votes.

Input by Hitesh Sharma

Congress races ahead of the BJP as per initial trends

As of 9.30 am, Congress leads in 46 seats compared to BJP in 20. Chief Minister Raman Singh is facing a scare in Rajnandgaon as Congress candidate Karuna Shukla takes lead with 150 votes.

Input by Hitesh Sharma

Congress ahead in key constituencies in Bastar district as per initial trends

Bastar will be closely watched to see whether the BJP can recover the seats it lost to the Congress in 2013 — the Congress had won eight of the region’s 12 seats in the last elections. Healthcare is a major concern in this tribal-dominated region.

Sangeeta Sinha of Congress in leading from Sanjari Balod assembly constituency

Congress’ Sangeeta Sinha, contesting in the Sanjari Balod assembly constituency, is leading in the Balod district seat after the first round of counting.

The Sanjari-Balod constituency seat is being held by the Congress party’s Bhaiyyaram Sinha . According to the locals in Mokha village, Bhaiyyaram is accessible. Katendra Sahu says, “Bhaiyyaram Sinha comes to our village often for shows and other occasions. We have spoken to him about the insurance payment problem and he said he would look into it, but nothing has happened after that."

Input from Kishore K Sahu

Congress leading in Keshkal constituency in Bastar district

Sant Netam, former police constable and sitting Congress MLA from Keshkal is leading from the seat in Bastar; BJP’s Harishankar Netam trailing, according to early trends.

Input by Tameshwar Sinha

Congress ahead in 10 seats, according to initial trends

Postal ballots are being counted in the first round at all centres. Congress is ahead, while the BJP is trailing according to initial trends.

Input by Hitesh Sharma

2261 postal ballots received in Koriya district constituencies

In Koriya, a total of 2261 postal ballots have been received in Baikunthpur, Manendragarh and Bharatpur assembly constituencies.

Input by Hitesh Sharma

BJP’s Kailash Vijayvargiya says BJP will ‘definitely’ form government in Chhattisgarh

Vijayvargiya said, “We’ll definitely form government in Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh. Seeing the early trends coming from Rajasthan, we believe BJP will form a government there as well.”

Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP: We'll definitely form government in Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh. Seeing the early trends coming from Rajasthan, we believe BJP will form a government there as well. #AssemblyElections2018 pic.twitter.com/PUr9gnV4a6

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2018

Karuna Shukla leading in Rajnandgaon constituency

Early trends show that Congress’ Karuna Shukla, niece of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is leading in Rajnandgaon constituency, which is also the seat that Chief Minister Raman Singh is contesting.

The three-term chief minister is currently trailing.

Ajit Jogi’s son Amit leading in Bilaspur’s Marwahi constituency

The constituency of Marwahi is part of the Bilaspur district in the state. The seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates. Ajit Jogi’s son, Amit, is leading in the constituency according to early trends.

Counting officials being instructed in Jashpur constituency

Govind Ram Bhagat from BJP, Vinay Kumar Bhagat from Congress and Gaganmati Bhagat from BSP are in contest for the Jashpur seat. Samajwadi Party fielded Kripa Shankar Bhagat and Emmanuel Kerketta is fighting on a Republican Party of India ticket.

SP has fielded its candidates on only nine of the 90 seats in the state.

Input by Yogeshwar Thawait

Security personnel deployed in four-layer set up including CRPF and state police personnel

Around 700-750 security personnel have been deployed to secure the counting centres in a four-layer set up, comprising CRPF, Chhattisgarh armed police, Chhattisgarh police, and DRG.

All the people entering inside the counting centres are being allowed to carry only pen and paper as per the guidelines of the EC. All arrangements are in place to ensure fair and peaceful counting process.

Input by Suneet

Counting begins in Kanker

Counting of postal ballots begins for Kanker Assembly seat: Shishupal Shori of the Congress, Hira Markam of BJP and  Ramsahay Korram of BSP are in contest for the Kanker seat.

Input by Tameshwar Sinha

Janata Congress Chhattisgarh candidate visits a temple as counting begins

Rajendra Kumar Rai, Janata Congress Chhattisgarh candidate from Balod assembly constituency, reached a temple with his supporters early in the morning to seek blessings from Goddess Ganga before leaving for counting center.

Input by Kishore K Sahu

Counting of postal ballots begins at the counting centre in Koriya.

Agents of all political parties have reached the centre. Bharatpur-Sonhat, Mahendragarh and Baikunthpur are the assembly constituencies in the district.

Input by Chandrakant Pargir

Section 128 and 144 imposed in areas of counting centres

State Election Commission has made extensive preparations for counting of votes for 90 assembly constituencies across Chhattisgarh. Section 128 and 144 has been imposed around counting centres to maintain order. Extensive measures have been taken to ensure peaceful counting.

Input by Manmohan Singh

BJP’s vote share was only 0.7 percentage points above the Congress in 2013

In the 2013 elections, the BJP won 49 seats, the Congress 39, while one seat each was bagged by the BSP and an Independent. Of the 90 Assembly segments, 51 are for general category, 10 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 29 segments for Scheduled Tribes.

Chief Minister Raman Singh and Congress’ Karuna Shukla face-off in Rajnandgaon

Karuna Shukla, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajyapee’s niece, presents a tough fight to incumbent chief minister Raman Singh for the Rajnandgaon constituency seat. Shukla has also been a member of the BJP party.

1269 candidates in the fray

The fate of 1269 candidates, including the chief minister, his 11 ministers, and state presidents of the BJP and Congress will be decided on Tuesday.

The ruling government’s development-driven policies that have pushed for the construction of roads, public health centres, and government schools at the village-level have drawn support for the party which has been in power in the state for the past three terms or 15 years.

Counting of postal ballots to begin at 8 am

Half an hour after the counting of postal ballots is done, the process to count votes from the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will begin. As many as 5,184 counting personnel and 1,500 micro-observers have been appointed for smooth conduct of the process.

Security arrangements put in place in insurgency-affected areas

Tight security arrangements have been made at the counting centres in all 27 districts, particularly the Naxal-affected ones, where voting was held in two phases on 12 and 20 November to elect a new 90-member Assembly.

The state had recorded 76.60 percent voter turnout.

Tight race between BJP, Congres, and BSP-Ajit Jogi-CPI alliance

Counting of votes will be held on Tuesday for the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, being viewed as a prestige battle for three-term Chief Minister Raman Singh of the BJP and the opposition Congress’ fight for resurgence.

This time, the coalition between Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), former chief minister Ajit Jogi’s Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) and Communist Party of India (CPI) has added another dimension to the electoral politics of the state which has been dominated by the BJP and the Congress.