<span style="color: #222222;">Polling is underway for the first phase of Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. Voting is taking place for 20 seats in this phase. Most of these constituencies are in Naxal-affected areas. The fate of 223 candidates, including 25 women, will be decided in this phase. Prominent among them are BJP leader and former chief minister Raman Singh, state Congress president Deepak Baij and deputy speaker Santram Netamand. Women voters outnumber men in 16 out of the 20 assembly segments where polling is being held today. 5,304 polling booths have been set up for this phase. Out of the 5,304 polling booths, 200 are 'sangwari' polling stations managed by women staffers, while 20 each are managed by 'Divyanjan' and youth.<br />''<br />''Voting in the remaining 70 seats in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 17 in the second and last phase of polling for the 90-member state assembly. Counting of votes will be taken up on December 3.     </span><br />