Chhattisgarh Assembly Polls 2018 LIVE: First Phase of elections to take place amid heavy security

Update at 5:09 PM: Polling for all 18 seats in the first phase of  Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2018 has ended

Update at 5:09 PM: Voting concludes in Chhattisgarh election phase 1

Update at 4:56 PM: 56.58% voter turnout recorded till 4:30 pm

Update at 4:01 PM: Three more personnel of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) are injured and five Maoists have been gunned down in the encounter that broke between the security forces & Maoists in Bijapur's Pamed area on Monday. All the CoBRA personnel are out danger

Update at 4:00 PM: Security forces defused IED which was detected in Bijapur's Dwarapara polling booth.   

Update at 3:40 PM: 47.18% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm in the first phase

Update at 3:05 PM: First phase of polling ends in Dandewada district

Update at 2:45 PM: People in Dantewada's Madenda village cast their votes even after threat from the Naxals to cut their fingers if the ink mark is seen on their fingers. 

Update at 1:10 PM: 25.15% voter turnout recorded at 1:00 PM in the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly polls

Update at 12:40 PM: Encounter broke out between security forces & Maoists in Bijapur's Pamed area at around 12:20 pm today. Firing underway. Two Cobra Jawans (Sub-Inspector and Constable) have suffered injuries. 

Update at 12:30 PM: We will eradicate 'Naxalism'. Only we can eradicate it. They will not do anything against them because for them, they are 'revolutionary': PM Modi in Bilaspur.

Update at 12:27 PM: Magnar is in Abhujmad area about 8 kms from Barsur. Even after Maoists created hurdles for the voters in the Magnar village in Abhujmad district, people defied and came to vote. 195 BN CRPF have taken a key role in building the confidence of villagers.

Update at 12:20 PM: We want development for all : Prime Minister Modi addresses a rally in Bilaspur

Update at 12:08 PM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh

Update at 11:32 AM: Huge voter turnout at the polling station in Rajnandgaon

Update at 11:20 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Chhattisgarh's capital city Raipur. He will be addressing an election rally Bilaspur.

Update at 11:15 AM: 12.32% voter turnout recorded at 11:10 AM in the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly polls.

Update at 10:25 AM: We have to win this election for Ananth Kumar Ji. Election for BJP is not only winning and making government, it is the way to reach people: BJP president Amit Shah during a rally in Madhya Pradesh

Update at 10:20 AM: 10.7% voter turnout recorded till 10 AM in the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections in 18 constituencies

Update at 10:15 AM: Percentage of voter turnout at 9 AM in different constituencies

Bijapur - 2.41%
Narayanpur - 4.36%
Antagarh - 8.30%
Bhanupratappur - 9%
Kanker - 10%
Dantewada - 11%
Baster - 7%
Khairagarh- 13%
Mohla-Manpur  - 18%
Konta - 7%
Kondagaon - 16%
Keshkal - 14%

Update at 10:05 AM: 15% voter turnout till 9 AM in 18 constituencies in Chhattisgarh

Update at 10:02 AM: Three IEDs were detected near the polling centre in Konta's Banda in Sukma District. CRPF Bomb disposal squad is in the process of defusing the IEDs. A make shift polling booth has been established under a tree, away from the actual polling booth.

Update at 10:00 AM: Voting underway in interior areas of Kistaram, Palem and Bejji in Naxal-affected Sukma district

Update at 9:00 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets a message for the voters in Chhattisgarh.

Update at 8:56 AM: IED recovered by 199 battalion of CRPF from Pandeypara village in Bijapur. 

Update at 8:49 AM: Voting has resumed at the Pink polling booth in Kamla College, in Rajnandgaon's Sangwari.

Update at 8:35 AM: Voting has stopped due to technical problem in the EVM at the Pink polling booth in Kamla College, in Rajnandgaon's Sangwari

Update at 8:03 AM: IED was triggered by Maoists on Tumakpal-Nayanar road at around 5:30 AM to target the security forces. No harm has been caused to security forces and the polling party. Party safely reached to Nayanar polling booth No. 183 under PS Katekalyan: Devnath, AIG (Anti-Naxal Ops)

Update at 8:02 AM: Total voters in 18 constituencies: 31, 80014
Female voters: 16,22,492
Male voters: 15,57,435

Update at 8:00 AM: Polling begins in the remaining 8 seats.

Update at 7:05 AM: Polling begins in Bijapur

Update at 7:02 AM: IED blast near Tumakpal camp in Katekalyan block,1.5 km away from the nearest polling booth in Dantewada. No injuries reported

Update at 7:00 AM: Polling begins in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district.

First phase of the Chhattisgarh State Assembly polls 2018 is scheduled to take place on Monday in 18 constituencies of South Chhattisgarh region. Security has been heightened in the poll-bound districts in the light of the recent Maoists attacks in the state.

In the second phase of the elections, remaining 72 constituencies will into polls in North Chhattisgarh area on November 20.

As many as 65,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, have been deployed in the 18 constituencies. A total of 190 candidates are contesting the Chhattisgarh assembly elections in the 18 constituencies in Chhattisgarh spread over eight districts which are active Maoist areas.

A total of 4,336 polling booths have been set up for the first phase of the Chhattisgarh assembly elections. There are 31,79,520 voters, including 16,21,839 males, 15,57,592 females and 89 of the third gender.

In a major jolt to the Congress party on Sunday, its state Vice President Ghanaram Sahu quit the party with immediate effect. Sources stated he jumped the ship and joined BJP on Monday, ahead of the Assembly polls 2018 in the Maoist-hit district.

A lot has been said ahead of the crunching first phase of polls in Chhattisgarh. Both PM Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi, along with leaders from their respective parties held rallies across the state in the past few days. While PM Modi attacked Congress over their silence on the Maoist attacks, the Congress President continued attacking BJP over the Rafale issue.