Raipur: Women are likely to play a major role in Chhattisgarh assembly polls as they outnumber men in 39 out of the 90 assembly constituencies in state, where the first phase elections will be held tommorow.
According to the figures released by the Election Commission, 32,08,351 women will exercise their franchise (as compared to 31,89,489 men), to decide the fate of 379 candidates, who are in the electoral fray for the first phase of polling.
Prominent leaders whose fate will be sealed in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) include Chief Minister Raman Singh, Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma, Speaker Premprakash Pandey, sitting ministers Hemchand Yadav, Lata Usendi, Ajay Chandrakar and Kedar Kashyap.
Meanwhile, voting time has been changed for 12 constituencies in the Naxal dominated Bastar division namely-- Dantewada, Konta, Bijapur, Chitrakote, Narayanpur, Bhanupratappur, Anagarh, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Bastar, Jagdalpur and Kanker where voting will be held between 7 am and 3 pm, offficials in the State election office said.
Also, helicopters have been used for transport of polling materials and officials for 251 polling booths spanning cross six assembly constituencies in naxal-hit Bastar division.
There are 8,879 polling booths for the first phase of voting.
In the first phase Vaishali Nagar in Durg will see 19,the highest number of candidates from a constituency in the electoral fray where as Konta has the lowest number of candidates (4).
Out of the 90 assembly constituencies in the state, 51 will be going to polls on November 20.
