Polling is being held in Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa (reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates), Surguja (reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates) and Raigarh (ST) seats in the third phase.

Posted video on X showing him walking out of polling booth gates.

Amid tight security, polling began in Kanker, Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituencies at 7 am and was continuing smoothly, officials said.

Puvarti, a Maoist stronghold in Sukma district bordering Bijapur district, is the home village of dreaded Naxalite leader Hidma.

Bastar recorded a  voter turnout of more than 42 per cent till 1 pm on Friday even as a CRPF officer was injured in a Naxalite-planted pressure improvised explosive device (IED) blast. Another CRPF man was hurt in Bijapur district when  grenade launcher exploded.