RAIPUR: With round-the-clock vigilance, aerial surveillance and security detail of over a lakh personnel, 18 constituencies in Maoist-hit Chhattisgarh will go to polls in the first phase of assembly elections on Monday.As many as 650 companies - including paramilitary forces: CRPF, BSF, ITBP, 65,000 police personnel from other states, and 200 companies of Chhattisgarh police department have been deployed to ensure peaceful and fair polling in the seven districts of Bastar and Rajnandgaon.Indian Air Force (IAF) and BSF choppers have also been pressed into service to airlift polling parties to remote areas in forested tribal region. With 4,336 polling booths, over 31 lakh voters - 16 women and 89 third genders - will be exercising their franchise. As many as 40 hyper-sensitive polling stations have been identified in Konta (ST) constituency in Sukma.Chief minister Raman Singh, who is vying for a fourth consecutive term, is seeking re-election from Rajnandgaon where he is facing Congress candidate Karuna Shukla, niece of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and a former BJP MP.Other prominent candidates who are trying their electoral luck are school education minister Kedar Kashyap (Narayanpur-ST), forest minister Mahesh Gagda (Bijapur-ST), Congress legislature party deputy leader Kawasi Lakma (Konta-ST) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief ministerial candidate Komal Hupendi (Bhanupratapur-ST). Of the 18 seats going to poll in the first phase, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) and one for the Scheduled Caste category.The time of polling in 10 constituencies - Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Konta, is from 7am to 3pm while in the rest of the constituencies - Khairgarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Bastar, Jagdalpur and Chitrakot it is from 8am till 5pm.A senior police official said the security forces are keeping a close vigil in all the constituencies, particularly in the light of call given by the Maoists for boycott of elections. Besides, adequate security has been provided to polling parties, who have already moved to their destinations. The security cover would continue till they return to these bases with electronic voting machines after polling.In the last 10 days, over 300 IEDs were recovered from Bastar region and Rajnandgaon district by security forces while special forces were guarding the inter-state borders of MP , Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Maoists have called for boycott of polls in state and have attacked thrice in span of fortnight leaving 13 people, including eight security personnel, dead and five injured.For full report, log on to www.timesofindia.com Four civilians and a CISF jawan were killed when Naxals detonated a bus with an improvised explosive device (IED) in Dantewada district on November 8. On October 30, three police personnel and a cameraman of Doordarshan were killed in a Maoist attack in Aranpur area of Dantewada. On October 27, four CRPF personnel, belonging to 168th battalion were killed and two others injured after Maoists blew up their bullet proof bunker vehicle in Awapalli area of Bijapur district. The second phase of the Chhattisgarh election will be held on November 20 and the votes will be counted on December 11.

Stay updated with all the Latest Raipur headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.