Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday (November 8) expressed confidence about his party winning the majority in the first phase of state polls. He also accused the BJP-led Centre of conducting raids on the residence of an individual responsible for managing election expenditure records as the saffron party anticipated losses in the first phase of the Assembly elections.

"In the first phase (elections) we will win 18-19 seats... BJP is losing in the first phase of elections and therefore there have been raids at the residence of the person who keeps accounts of the elections..." Baghel said, while speaking at a rally in Madhya Pradesh' Damoh.

According to sources, the ED launched a raid at the premises of Suresh Dhingani, a fireworks trader, in Bhilai area of Durg district on Wednesday morning. However, it is not yet known which case led to this action.

Reacting to the raid, Baghel said on X, "I thought the exit poll of the first phase would be known after a few days. But Saheb revealed it this morning itself."

"Early in the morning, the ED has been sent to the place of Suresh Dhingani ji who had accompanied me when I filed my nomination papers and has been acting as my 'adhikarik vyay lekhak' (official handling poll expenditure records) in the electoral process," Baghel said.

"This attempt to scare the people of Patan Assembly would have failed in the same way as BJP faced in voting on 20 seats yesterday. Saheb, don't consider Chhattisgarhiya people weak and cowardly. They eat their rice, that too with full self-respect.' Baat hai abhimaan ke, Chhattisgarhiya ke swabhiman ke' (it's a matter of pride, self-respect of Chhattisgarhiya)," the CM added.

Further, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent statement on the Mahadev betting app scam case, Baghel said, "What is PM Modi's involvement in the Mahadev betting app that should be told?"

"Why is the Prime Minister giving protection? Baghel questioned, adding, "Why isn't anybody arrested?"

Notably, PM Modi, on November 4, while addressing a rally in Durg, targeted Baghel, saying Congress did not spare even Mahadev. He said, “Congress party's Chhattisgarh government is leaving no opportunity to loot you. They did not leave even Mahadev."

Polling for the first phase of 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly was held on Tuesday (November 7) in 20 seats. The remaining 70 segments will see voting in the second phase on November 17.

Of the 20 seats that went to polls, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST). A total of 223 candidates, including 25 women, contested these elections, with 40,78,681 eligible voters in the first phase. According to officials, the total number of voters in the 20 constituencies is 40,78,681, comprising 19,93,937 men, 20,84,675 women and 69 ‘third-gender’ persons.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)