Raipur, Dec 2 (UNI) Preparations are complete for Sunday’s counting of votes, vis-à-vis all 90 Assembly constituencies of Chhattisgarh, for revealing the electoral fortunes of 1,181 candidates.

The process, which is to be videographed, is scheduled to commence at 8 am amid heavy three-tier security bandobast including the CRPF.

“Ninety returning officers; 416 assistant ROs; 4,596 counting personnel and 1,698 micro-observers have been appointed in addition to the 90 counting observers designated by the Election Commission,” Chief Electoral Officer Reena Babasaheb Kangale said on Saturday during a press conference in the state capital.

As per the established protocol, postal ballots shall be taken up first and the electronic voting machines at 8:30 am. Media centres have been set up.

Chhattisgarh witnessed two-phase polling on November 7 and 17 respectively. The ruling Congress and the principal-opposition BJP are in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation.

In the 2018 Vidhan Sabha polls, the regional outfit Janata Congress was in a tie-up with the Bahujan Samaj Party and registered their combined presence as a third force but they have gone separate ways this time round. The Aam Aadmi Party and the communists are also in the fray.

The key contestants are Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel (Patan), his deputy Tribhuvaneshwar Saran Singh Deo (Ambikapur), BJP Vice President and erstwhile chief minister Raman Singh (Rajnandgaon), Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh Saruta (Bharatpur-Sonhat), BJP state head Arun Sao (Lormi), Assembly Speaker Charan Das Mahant (Sakti) and Leader of the Opposition Narayan Chandel (Janjgir-Champa).
UNI AS-AC BM