Flags of the BJP and Congress.
Credit: PTI File Photos.
The first phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections ended with voters in 20 constituencies exercising their right to suffrage. A few encounters and a blast did mar the elections but largely it remained peaceful.
The next round of voting is set to take place on November 17 and the results will be announced on December 3.
During campaigning, all parties tried hard to woo tribal voters to boost their chances in the elections. Scheduled Tribes are a crucial vote bank for parties in Chhattisgarh with their population in the state being around 30 per cent.
Out of the 90 seats in the Chhattisgarh assembly, 29 are reserved for STs, which is almost a third of the total seats. 10 constituencies in the state are also reserved for Scheduled Castes which takes the total number of reserved seats to 39, making it crucial for parties to perform well on these seats.
Chhattisgarh had seen an uninterrupted BJP rule since the first elections that were held in the state in 2003 till 2018. In the last elections, however, Congress routed the BJP to win 68 seats and the saffron party was reduced to a paltry 15.
In the last Assembly elections, Congress swept the reserved seats to put itself in a very strong position. Out of the 39 reserved seats, Congress won 32, which amounts to a success rate of 82 per cent.
In the 29 seats reserved for STs, BJP won three while former CM Ajit Jogi of Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) won his seat. Other 25 seats, 86 per cent of total seats, were all won by Congress.
In the 10 seats reserved for SCs, Congress won seven while BJP was reduced to just two and BSP won a solitary seat.
Apart from sweeping the reserved seats, Congress also dominated the unreserved seats to decimate its opposition.