Rajnandgaon: Voting for the by-poll to the Khairagarh Assembly seat in Chhattisgarh’s Naxal-affected Rajnandgaon district began amidst tight security on Tuesday morning. As per the electoral data, until 11 am nearly 35 per cent of the eligible individual had cast their vote. The counting of votes will be taken up on April 16.
Around 291 polling stations have been set up in Khairagarh. Over 1,6,266 eligible males and 1,5,250 females would decide the future of the three party’s in fray. Of the 291 polling booths, 53 have been recognised as hypersensitive polling booths and 11 as sensitive.
Around 22 companies (each comprising around 100 personnel) of the Central Armed Police Force and state police personnel have been deployed for patrolling around Khairagarh, where the area bordering Madhya Pradesh is considered as Naxal-affected.
The ruling party nominated OBC leader Yashoda Verma, in the triangle contest. While Dr Raman Singh’s party which has a strong foothold in Khairagah elected Komal Janghel. Previously ruling party JCC (J) expressed confidence in Narendra Soni,a lawyer and member of the erstwhile royal family of Khairagarh.. A total of 10 candidates are in the fray including the above three heavy parties.
The Congress has promised the people to make Khairagarh a district if it wins the seat, which was once its bastion.
The by-poll was necessitated following the death of Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) legislator and former MP Devvrat Singh last November.