Chhattisgarh elections 2018: PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi sound poll bugle, gear up for rallies in multiple districts. LIVE updates here

Update at 5:44 PM: Rahul Gandhi holds roadshow at Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh with Atal Bihari Vajpayee's niece.

Update at 5:42 PM: 

Rahul Gandhi brought up the Rafale deal during his rally n Chhattisgarh. "Our Airforce needs planes to protect the country. UPA had promised them planes worth Rs 536 crore. But Modi sarkar snatched Rs 30,000 Rafale crore deal from HAL and gave it to the Ambanis," he said.

Update at 3:38 PM: 

Update at 2:51 PM: READ | 'Kids Should Have Pencils, Maoists Gave Them Guns', Says PM Modi In Chhattisgarh, Exposing Hypocrisy Of Urban Naxals 

Update at 2:05 PM: A cameraman from DD news and jawans of our security forces were killed by Maoists in Chhattisgarh. But shamefully the Congress called them 'Krantikari': Prime Minister Modi

Update at 2:00 PM: Your votes and democracy are the only way to fight against all the odds in the state: PM Narendra Modi during his address in Jagdalpur rally 

Update at 1:45 PM: There are political parties who are helping Urban Naxals but giving gyaans in rural areas against Maoists. If any other party comes in power then they will ruin baster: PM Modi in Jagdalpur

Update at 1:30 PM: We have removed all political brokers from the society, so that every individual gets the benefits of policies of government: PM Modi addresses the mega rally

Update at 1:15 PM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his address to the mega rally in Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh

Update at 12:38 PM: Rahul Gandhi addresses a rally in Chhattisgarh's Kanker

Update at 10:55 AM: Congress president Rahul Gandhi arrives in Raipur. He will attend multiple events in Chhattisgarh on Friday.

---

Days ahead of the assembly election in five states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be visiting poll-bound Chhattisgarh on Friday, to hold rallies for the first phase in the Maoist-affected region. This is going to be the first face-off between the two top party leader during this election season.

During the election campaign, Prime Minister Modi will be addressing rallies in three major cities in the state including Bastar district headquarters and Jagdalpur. Rahul Gandhi on his two-day visit to the Maoists affected state will address five rallies and will hold a roadshow in Chief Minister Raman Singh's constituency Rajnandgaon.

While IG of Chhattiagarh’s Bastar district V Sinha, on Thursday, assured that the upcoming assembly elections will be conducted peacefully, the rallies of the top party leaders have been organized amid the rising Maoists attacks in the state.

Earlier on Thursday, one CISF Jawan and four civilians lost their lives after maoists triggered an IED blast on a bus near Bacheli in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district. Furthermore, two people were reported to have suffered serious injuries during the same attack.

READ: Maoists Attack CISF Bus In Dantewada Chhattisgarh: UPDATES Here

In another Maoists ambush in Dantewada district on October 30, four persons, including three CRPF jawans and one Doordarshan News video journalist, were killed.

READ: ON CAMERA: The Terrifying October 27 Maoist Attack On A CRPF Vehicle In Which 4 Jawans Were Martyred In Bijapur, Chhattisgarh

In the 2013 Assembly polls, the BJP had won 49 seats, Congress 39, BSP 1 and Independent 1 in the 90-member House. The ruling BJP had lost 12 of the 18 seats in the 2013 polls.