Twelve assembly seats of naxal-hit Bastar division are among the 20 constituencies where voting will be held tomorrow in the first phase of assembly elections.

About 60,000 security personnel have been deployed for the smooth conduct of the polls in the sensitive zone, the police said

It’s expected to be a close contest between the Congress and the BJP as both parties are trying to win the support of tribal voters. The grand old party is banking on its legacy of welfare schemes and support for tribal rights, while the BJP is focusing on development and infrastructure.

The second phase of voting will take place on November 17, while votes will be counted on December 3.

Here are the 12 constituencies in Bastar division where voting will be held tomorrow

Antagarh

Congress has fielded Roop Singh Potai from Antagarh against BJP’s state president Vikram Usendi. 

Roop Singh Potai recently switched over to Congress from BJP.

Rebel Congress MLA Anoop Nag is also fighting the election from Antagarh as an independent candidate, making it a three-way contest.

In 2018 assembly elections, Anoop Nag had defeated Vikram Usendi, a four-time MLA from Antagarh, by more than 13,000 votes. Anup Nag got 57061 votes, while Vikram Usendi got 43647 votes.

Bhanupratappur

BJP has fielded Gautam Uike from Bhanupratappur this year, while BJP has fielded Savitri Mandavi after death of her husband Manoj Mandavi who won the 2018 elections from the assembly seat. 

In 2018, Manoj Mandavi defeated BJP’s Devlal Dugga by 26,000 votes. Manoj Mandavi got 72,520 votes and Congress candidate Devlal got 45,827 votes.

Kanker

Congress has replaced sitting MLA Shishupal Shori with former MLA Shankar Dhruv, while BJP has given a chance to Asharam Netam in place of Harishankar Netam.

The two leaders are competing for the first time.

In 2018, Congress candidate Shishupal Shori defeated BJP’s Hira Markam by more than 19,000 votes. Mr Shori got 69,053 votes and Mr Markam got 49,249 votes.

Keshkal

BJP has fielded retired IAS Neelkanth Tekam from Keshkal, while two-time MLA Santkumar Netam is fighting the election on Congress ticket.

In 2018-Santkumar Netam defeated Harishankar Netam by 16,972 votes. Santkumar Netam got 73,470 votes and Harishankar Netam got 56,498 votes.

Kondagaon

While Congress has fielded Cabinet Minister Mohan Markam, BJP has again given a chance to former minister Lata Usendi.

In 2018, Mohan Markam defeated BJP candidate Lata Usendi by 1,796 votes. Mr Markam got 61,582 votes and Ms Usendi got 59,786 votes.

Narayanpur

Congress and BJP have fielded the same candidates who fought the 2018 elections from Narayanpur for the two parties.

Chandan Kashyap is the Congress candidate from the assembly seat, while BJP has once again given a chance to former minister Kedar Kashyap.

In 2018, Chandan Kashyap defeated Kedar Kashyap by 2,647 votes. Mr Kashyap got 58,652 votes and Mr Kashyap got 56,005 votes.

Bastar

BJP has fielded Maniram Kashyap from Bastar in place of Dr Subhau Kashyap, while Congress has again fielded two-time MLA Lakheshwar Baghel.

In 2018, Lakheshwar Baghel defeated BJP’s Dr Subhau Kashyap by 33,471 votes. Mr Baghel got 74,378 votes and Kashyap got 40,907 votes.

Jagdalpur

In Jagdalpur, Congress has fielded former mayor Jatin Jaiswal in place of sitting MLA Rekhchand Jain. BJP has also placed its bet on former mayor Kirandev in place of Santosh Bafna.

In 2018, Congress candidate Rekhchand defeated BJP’s Santosh Bafna by 27,440 votes. Mr Jain got 76,556 votes and Mr Bafna got 49,116 votes.

Chitrakoot

Congress has fielded MP Deepak Baij from Chitrakoot, while BJP has fielded Vinayak Goyal in place of former MLA Lachhuram Kashyap.

In 2018, Deepak Baij had defeated BJP’s Lachhuram Kashyap by 17,770 votes. Mr Baij got 62,616 votes and Mr Kashyap got 44,846 votes.

In the 2019 by-election, Congress’ Rajman Benjamin defeated BJP’s Lachhuram Kashyap by 17862 votes. Mr Benjamin got 62,097 votes and Mr Kashyap got 44,235 votes.

Dantewada

BJP has fielded Chaitaram Atami from Dantewada, while sitting MLA Devati Karma’s son Chhaviendra Karma is fighting the elections on Congress seat.

In 2018, Bhima Mandavi defeated Congress candidate Devati Karma by 2,172 votes. Mr Mandavi got 37,990 votes and Mr Karma got 35,818 votes.

Bijapur

Congress has fielded sitting MLA Vikram Mandavi from Bijapur, while BJP has fielded former minister Mahesh Gagda.

In 2018, Vikram Mandavi defeated Mahesh Gagda by 21,584 votes. Mr Mandavi got 44,011 votes and Mr Gagda got 22,427 votes.

Konta

BJP has fielded Soyam Mukka from Konta, while Kawasi Lakhma is fighting the election for Congress ticket.

In 2018, Kawasi Lakhma defeated BJP’s Dhaniram Barse by 6,709 votes. Mr Lakhma got 31,933 votes and Mr Barse got 25,244 votes.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday urged the people of Mizoram to vote for his party and said it was his guarantee that their culture, language and traditions will be protected.

Assembly polls will be held in Mizoram on Tuesday. Over 8.57 lakh voters of the state will decide the electoral fate of 174 candidates amid tight security arrangements.

In a post on ‘X’, Rahul Gandhi said, “To my brothers and sisters of Mizoram, when you go out to vote tomorrow, vote for Congress.” “We will protect your culture, language and traditions – That is my guarantee,” he said and shared a video montage of his recent visit to Mizoram and also former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s recent video appeal to the people of the state to vote for the Congress.

To my brothers and sisters of Mizoram, when you go out to vote tomorrow, vote for Congress.

We will protect your culture, language and traditions – That is my guarantee. pic.twitter.com/KuIt6oHdVn

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 6, 2023

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi last Wednesday had appealed to the people of Mizoram to elect her party in the November 7 assembly polls, saying this is no time for experiments and a vote for the Congress is one for peace, progress and prosperity in the northeastern state.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday appealed to the people in Mizoram to vote for his party, saying while the Congress had helped bring peace and stability to the state, the BJP and the RSS were “hell-bent on destroying” the Mizo culture and its way of life.

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf said on Monday that the return of his parents-in-law from Gaza was “bittersweet”, following their four-week ordeal under siege in the Palestinian territory.

Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla, the parents of Yousaf’s wife Nadia, became trapped in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, and only managed to leave and enter Egypt through the Rafah crossing last Friday.

“They are of course delighted that they are here but they are heartbroken that they had to leave family behind in Gaza,” the leader of the devolved government in Edinburgh told BBC Scotland.

He told reporters that his father-in-law had been forced to say numerous painful goodbyes when he left the territory last week.

“He was really broken by the fact that he had to say goodbye to his mother, to his son, to their grandchildren, as well — the youngest of which is only three months old,” Yousaf said.

His in-laws, who live in Dundee, northeast Scotland, were visiting relatives in Gaza when Israel declared war on Hamas after its gunmen killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.

Since then, Israel has relentlessly bombarded the Palestinian territory and sent in ground troops, with the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza saying more than 10,000 people have been killed, most of them women and children.

Yousaf, who in March became the first Muslim leader of a government in western Europe, had grown increasingly vocal over recent weeks about the desperate plight of his in-laws and others in Gaza.

On Monday, he said the situation they faced had been “incredibly desperate” and they had been forced to drink sea water after running out of supplies.

“We continue to watch the situation in Israel-Gaza with a lot of distress,” the Scottish National Party (SNP) leader added, reiterating his call for an immediate ceasefire.

“This is a pivotal moment, frankly, for the international community,” he said.

“You are either on the side of humanity calling for an immediate ceasefire or you are enabling the suffering of 2.2 million men, women and children, the vast majority of whom are innocent,” the leader added.

The ruling Conservative government in the UK and the main Labour opposition have not joined calls for a ceasefire, arguing it would benefit Hamas, and instead called for “humanitarian pauses”.