Chhattisgarh assembly polls: CM Baghel extends wishes to all candidates on vote counting day

RAIPUR: As counting of votes commenced in Chhattisgarh on Sunday chief minister Bhupesh Baghel extended wishes to all the candidates who are seeking a mandate to the 90-member assembly.

"Today is the day of the mandate. Salute to 'Janata Janardan'. Best wishes to all the candidates," Chief Ministers Baghel said in a post on X.

A total of 1,181 candidates contested seeking a mandate to the 90-member assembly.

The halfway mark for the 90-member assembly of Chhattisgarh is 46. The counting of votes at designated centres began at 8 am.

The polling in the state was held in two phases.

The first phase was held in 20 constituencies on November 7 with 223 candidates in the contest while the polling in the remaining constituencies with 958 candidates were held in the second phase on November 17.

In Chhattisgarh, exit polls gave Congress a clear edge, showing that the ruling party in the state is poised to return to power with the BJP also expected to put up a good contest unlike in the 2018 polls.

In 2018, the Congress won 68 seats in Chhattisgarh and the BJP won 15 seats. Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) won five seats, while the Bahujan Samaj Party won two seats.