New Delhi: The first phase of the Chhattisgarh assembly elections kick-started on Monday morning.  Eighteen out of 90 constituencies in the state will go to the polls in which 190 candidates are contesting. 

According to election officials, the final voter turnout was 70%.

As per electoral rolls, there are 31,80,014 voters. Women voters outnumber men for the first phase of polling, with 16,22,492 female voters on the rolls against 15,57,435 men. There are 87 third gender voters as well.

Also read: In pics: Chhattishgarh goes for poll amid maoist threats; women voters outnumber men

As many as one lakh security personnel, including paramilitary forces, have been posted in the state.

Amid tight security, an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated by Maoists on Monday in Dantewada region at around 5:30 am to target security forces. No one was hurt in the incident.

Maoists boycotting the elections have appealed to the locals not to vote. Banned outfit supporters have pasted posters asking locals not go to the polling station.Their cultural wing has also protested at various villages against all parties including BJP and Congress.

The polling in 10 seats started at 7 am and will end at 3 pm on Monday, while the remaining eight seats will witness voting from 8 am to 5 pm.

The 10 seats where early voting is being held are- Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, Konta, Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal and Kondagaon.

The rest of the constituencies are - Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Bastar, Jagdalpur and Chitrakot.

Out of the 18 seats going to polling in the first phase, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) while one is for Scheduled Caste (SC) category.

The second phase of polls will see voting in 72 seats on November 20.

With agency inputs