Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections: So far 17 candidates have filed nominations for the first phase, voting on November 7.

On Tuesday, 11 candidates filed their nominations for the first phase of the assembly elections (Assembly Election 2023) being held in Chhattisgarh.

So far 17 candidates have filed their nominations. Officials said that on the third day today, 11 candidates filed nomination papers for 20 assembly constituencies of the first phase of assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. Till now a total of 17 candidates have filed nomination papers for the first phase.

By Wednesday maximum five nomination papers were filed for Kawardha assembly constituency, three for Mohla-Manpur, two for Dongargarh and one each for Khairagarh, Antagarh, Kanker, Keshkal, Jagdalpur and Bijapur.

Officials said that in the first phase, the nomination process is going on for 12 seats of Bastar division and eight assembly constituencies of Rajnandgaon, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai and Kabirdham districts.

Nomination forms can be filed till October 20 for 20 seats in the first phase of elections being held in two phases in the state. Nomination papers will be scrutinized on 21st October and candidates will be able to withdraw their names till 23rd October. Voting for the first phase will be held on November 7.

Officials said that in the first phase, Konta, Bijapur, Dantewada, Chitrakot, Jagdalpur, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Keshkal, Kanker, Bhanupratapur, Antagarh, Mohla-Manpur, Khujji, Dongargaon, Rajnandgaon, Dongargarh, Khairagarh, Kawardha and Pandariya assembly constituencies. There will be voting for. Voting will be held in the second phase on November 17 in the remaining 70 constituencies of the 90-member assembly.

The state's main opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has so far announced candidates on 85 out of 90 seats, and the ruling party Congress (Congress) has announced candidates on 30 seats.

Of the 20 seats where voting is being held in the first phase, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) while one is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) category. In the 2018 assembly elections, Congress had won 17 seats in these constituencies, while BJP had won two and Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) had won one seat. Later, Congress won two more seats out of the remaining three in the by-elections.