Raman Singh Asks for Change in Date of 2nd Phase of Chhattisgarh Polls

NEW DELHI:
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice president and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh on Wednesday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to postpone the second phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly polls scheduled on November 17 in view of the Chhath festival.

Singh said that a large number of voters will not be able to take part in the electoral process due to the festival. Elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly are scheduled in two phases on November 7 and 17. The Chhath festival will be celebrated from November 17 to 20.

Singh, in a post on X (formerly twitter), said that the second phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly election is coinciding with the Chhath puja festival due to which a large number of people will not be able to take part in the electoral process. He wrote on X, “I request @ECISVEEP to please postpone the second phase of voting, so that more and more voters can take part in the electoral process and exercise their franchise.”

Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had made a similar demand in the state. A large number of people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh living in Raipur, Bilaspur, Bhilai, Jagdalpur, Korba, and other cities of Chhattisgarh celebrate the Chhath festival every year.

The BJP has fielded incumbent MLA Raman Singh from his traditional seat Rajnandgaon, which will go to polls in the first phase along with 19 other constituencies. Voting in the other 70 seats will be held in the second phase of the polls.