Raipur, Dec 3 : The ruling Congress and the principal-opposition BJP are in a close contest as counting of votes progressed for all 90 Assembly constituencies of Chhattisgarh on Sunday.
As per the latest trends, the Congress is leading in 45 seats and the saffron outfit in 44. In this state capital, the BJP is ahead in three of four constituencies, while the figure is eight out of 12 in Bastar division.
The counting would reveal the electoral fortunes of 1,181 candidates, amid a heavy three-tier security bandobast including huge deployment of CRPF personnel.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has taken a slender lead of 187 votes after the first round of counting in Patan.
It was officially learnt that 90 returning officers; 416 assistant ROs; 4,596 counting personnel and 1,698 micro-observers were appointed in addition to the 90 counting observers designated by the Election Commission.
Chhattisgarh witnessed two-phase polling on November 7 and 17 respectively.
In the 2018 Vidhan Sabha polls, the regional outfit Janata Congress was in a tie-up with the Bahujan Samaj Party and both registered their combined presence as a third force but they went separate ways this time round. The Aam Aadmi Party and the communists are also in the fray.
