Raipur, Nov 7 (IANS) Voting for 20 seats in the first phase of Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh was underway on Tuesday with 9.93 per cent polling recorded till 9 a.m., said the election commission.

All the 20 seats are considered high sensitive zones as these fall in the Maoists-affected areas of the state.    

A total of 230 candidates, including former Chief Minister Raman Singh and two incumbent ministers are in fray. These 20 Assembly seats are tribal dominated areas and a direct clash between the ruling Congress and the rival BJP is being witnessed.

Around 40.78 lakh voters will decide the fate of 230 candidates, of whom 198 are male and 28 women.

The 20 seats in first phase election are -- Pandariya, Kawardha, Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Bastar, Jagdalpur, Chitrakot, Dantewada, Bijapur and Konta.

There are a total of 90 legislative Assembly seats in Chhattisgarh, of which 20 seats will be witnessing the polls in the first phase, while the remaining 70 seats will undergo polling on November 17.

Maoists have tried to disrupt the election multiple times through their attacks on party workers and security forces. On Monday, a commando of CRPF was injured after an IED blast was triggered by Maoists in Sukma district. 

A local BJP leader was hacked to death by a group of Maoists in Narayanpur district three days ago. The BJP leader was identified as Ratan Dube. He was hit by a sharp axe which led to his death.